California Governor, Family Quarantine After COVID-19 Exposure

California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks at a COVID-19 testing facility in Valencia, Calif., on Nov. 16, 2020. (Marcio Jose Sanchez, Pool-AP Photo)

California Gov. Gavin Newsom and his family are quarantining after being exposed to COVID-19.

Newsom, a Democrat, said he and his wife learned on Friday night that three of their children had been exposed to an officer from the California Highway Patrol who had tested positive for COVID-19.

Newsom said he and his children all tested negative for COVID-19 on Sunday but would be isolating themselves for two weeks, per local guidance.

"Jen and I had no direct interaction with the officer and wish them a speedy recovery," he said in a statement. "We are grateful for all the officers that keep our family safe and for every frontline worker who continues to go to work during this pandemic."

COVID-19 is the disease caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus. It can lead to death in a small percentage of patients, but most recover with no care, at-home treatment, or hospital care, depending on the severity of their case.

One of Newsom's children entered quarantine on Friday because the family was informed that a classmate from the child's private school had tested positive for the new disease, a spokesman told news outlets.

The child was identified.

The rest of the family didn't enter quarantine then because they weren't directly exposed, the spokesman said.

In a new statement about the exposure to the law enforcement officer, a spokesperson for the governor said the Newsom family entered quarantine late Friday but weren't tested until Sunday. Health officials advised the delay "to improve the accuracy of the test," the spokesperson said.

The governor and his family are isolating at their house in Sacramento County and will be tested again.

Newsom recently ordered a near-statewide curfew in a bid to slow the spread of the CCP virus. He told people to stop so-called non-essential work and gatherings from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. in about 94 percent of the state.

Newsom apologized earlier this month for attending a crowded indoor dinner that went against recommendations from health officials. Such a dinner would not now be allowed, per updated rules.

“As soon as I sat down at the larger table, I realized it was a little larger group than I had anticipated. And I made a bad mistake—instead of sitting down, I should have stood up and walked back on my car and drove back to my house. Instead, I chose to sit there with my wife and a number of other couples that were outside the household,” Newsom told a press conference.

A handful of governors have tested positive for COVID-19 this year, including Missouri Gov. Mike Parson, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, and Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt.