Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak announced Friday that he tested positive for the coronavirus during a routine rapid test. Sisolak said he’s awaiting the results of a PCR test and is not experiencing symptoms.
Sisolak last appeared in his Carson City office on Thursday, the governor’s office said in a statement. All of his staff will temporarily work from home as a precaution, and Sisolak is isolating at his residence. He previously tested negative on November 2 and November 6.
Sisolak said he felt fatigued earlier in the week but said he attributed that to a demanding work schedule.
As part of a regular testing protocol, I underwent routine COVID-19 testing on Friday, November 13 in Carson City. A rapid test provided a positive result. I also received a diagnostic PCR test and those results are pending at this time. pic.twitter.com/bfI16HlTpk
— Governor Sisolak (@GovSisolak) November 14, 2020
In his own statement, Sisolak urged Nevada residents to stay home “as much as they possibly can at this time.”
As of November 12, the most recent data available, the state’s 14-day average positivity rate was a staggering 14.9%. There have been 116,737 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Nevada, 93,073 of which have come from Clark County, home to Las Vegas, according to CBS affiliate KLAS.
Sisolak is one of just a few governors who have tested positive for the virus. The governors of Missouri, Virginia and Oklahoma have also announced positive results.
Sisolak’s announcement comes as daily coronavirus cases are rising in all 50 states. Local leaders are implementing drastic new measures to contain the spread of the virus as the holiday season looms.