Florida AG tests positive for COVID-19

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody (R) announced Wednesday that she had tested positive for COVID-19, following a trip she made with Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and others to the southern border of Texas last weekend.

Moody said in a tweet on Wednesday that she had already received the vaccine.

“I received a COVID-19 vaccine earlier this year and today tested positive for the virus. Thankfully, I am only experiencing mild symptoms and my family is in good health. As I continue to self-quarantine, I want to encourage Floridians to be vigilant about their health,” Moody said in the tweet.

On Saturday, Moody had joined DeSantis, Florida Senate President Wilton Simpson, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R), Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and other officials during a tour at the southern border at Del Rio, Texas, according to a news release from DeSantis’s office.

The Miami Herald reported that Moody was in direct contact with multiple state law enforcement officers. 

DeSantis’s office had not responded to a request for comment late Wednesday from the Miami Herald regarding whether he was going to get a COVID-19 test or take any measures since Moody’s announcement, but the news outlet noted that he had already received the COVID-19 vaccine.

DeSantis, considered a possible GOP challenger for the 2024 presidential election, has downplayed Florida’s recent spike of COVID-19 cases, saying it was “a seasonal virus” on Monday and predicted cases would be on the decline next month.

However, DeSantis has defended the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines and on Wednesday made a push for people who had not already received their vaccine to get their shot soon.

“If you look at the people that are being admitted to hospitals … over 95% of them are either not fully vaccinated or not vaccinated at all,” DeSantis said. “These vaccines are saving lives. They are reducing mortality.” 

According to data from Florida’s Department of Health, the state saw 45,603 new cases between July 9 and July 15. The week prior, the state saw 23,562 cases. About 59 percent of the state’s population aged 12 and older are vaccinated.

Data from the department shows that vaccinations have also been on the decline in recent weeks. 

The Hill has reached out to DeSantis’s office for comment.