Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott Tests Positive For COVID-19, Reportedly 'Feeling Fine'
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- More than 1,000 new covid cases were reported in the past 24 hours in Maryland and among the positive tests, Baltimore City Mayor Brandon Scott.
Scott tested positive for covid-19 Monday after taking two tests.
"The severity of this pandemic has not diminished," said Scott on Friday.
The mayor is fully vaccinated. He received his first dose in March.
"The vaccine essentially prepped the mayor's immune system to fight the virus," said Dr. Esti Schabelman, Chief Medical Officer, Sinai Hospital.
The mayor's staff told WJZ, he's now working from his Northeast Baltimore home until he can be medically cleared to come back to City Hall.
"He's gonna have to isolate just like anyone else who gets COVID so that you don't get anyone else sick," said Dr. Schabelman.
Mayor Scott is routinely tested and on Friday his results were negative. Over the weekend he attended multiple public events including the Parade of Latino Nations in East Baltimore on Sunday.
"I spent part of my weekend with Mayor Scott," said Zeke Cohen, Baltimore City Councilman, District 1. "I felt it was important to get tested and of course follow all CDC COVID protocols."
Councilman Cohen says his test came back negative Monday but he plans to test again in a few days.
"This is why it is so important to get vaccinated," Cohen added.
Dr. Schabelman of Sinai Hospital says these breakthrough cases will keep happening as long as some people remain unvaccinated.
"The rate of breakthrough cases depends on how highly vaccinated that state is. In Maryland, we have about a .12 percent breakthrough rate," Schabelban said.
On Friday, Mayor Scott continued to push people to get the shot.
"We are dying more than anywhere else. That's the reality that's happening in our city," Scott said.
The mayor's staff is being tested and they're working with the city's contact tracing team to find anyone else who may have been exposed.
For the latest information on coronavirus go to the Maryland Health Department's website or call 211. You can find all of WJZ's coverage on coronavirus in Maryland here.
