Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms Contracts COVID-19
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 5 years ago on
July 7, 2020

Share

ATLANTA — Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced Monday that she had tested positive for COVID-19.
The 50-year-old Democrat is among the women named as a potential vice-presidential running mate for presumptive presidential nominee Joe Biden.
“COVID-19 has literally hit home. I have had NO symptoms and have tested positive,” Bottoms tweeted.


She told MSNBC that she decided her family members should get tested again because her husband “literally has been sleeping since Thursday.” She said the only other symptoms she and her husband have been experienced are those similar to allergies they have.
“It leaves me for a loss for words because I think it really speaks to how contagious this virus is,” Bottoms told MSNBC. “We’ve taken all of the precautions that you can possibly take. We wear masks, we’re very thoughtful about washing our hands, I have no idea when and where we were exposed.”
Bottoms’ national profile has risen in recent months both as a mayor handling the coronavirus pandemic and amid the national reckoning on race that has followed a white Minneapolis police officer’s killing of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, on May 25.

Bottoms Issued a Firm Plea for Peaceful Protest

A first-term mayor, Bottoms issued a firm plea for peaceful protest as demonstrators gathered on downtown streets after Floyd’s killing — and urged the protesters to get tested for COVID-19. She invoked Atlanta’s civil rights history and her personal experience as the mother of Black sons. She won plaudits from progressives after firing Atlanta officers for using excessive force during the protests.
She has also been noted for earlier criticizing Republican Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp on his slowness to order Georgians to shelter in place and his quickness to lift that order.
Bottoms was an early and vocal supporter of Biden, who has been considering Bottoms as his possible vice presidential running mate in his own presidential bid.
Violence in the city has grown worse since protesters burned down a fast food restaurant where a white officer fatally shot Rayshard Brooks after he seized a stun gun and ran. Armed people have been manning roadblocks at the site and an 8-year-old girl was shot dead near the site on Saturday. At the same time, some police officers have been refusing to answer calls, angry that the district attorney has charged officers in the Brooks shooting.
Atlanta police again broke up the roadblocks at the site Monday, but that wasn’t enough for Kemp, who said he was mobilizing up to 1,000 National Guard troops after a spike in shootings in Atlanta.

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

UP NEXT

1 in 4 US Children Have Parents With Substance Use Disorder, Study Finds

Dodgers’ Mookie Betts Out With Broken Toe After Late-Night Bedroom Mishap

58 minutes ago

California Gubernatorial Candidate Steve Hilton Vows to Repeal Transgender Athlete Law

5 hours ago

FDA Approves Moderna’s New Lower-Dose COVID-19 Vaccine

The U.S. approved a new COVID-19 vaccine made by Moderna late Friday but with limits on who can use it — not a replacement for the company&#...

45 minutes ago

45 minutes ago

FDA Approves Moderna’s New Lower-Dose COVID-19 Vaccine

50 minutes ago

Cabrera, Three Relievers Combine to Lead Marlins to Win Over Giants

54 minutes ago

Spike in Steel Tariffs Could Imperil Trump Promise of Lower Grocery Prices

58 minutes ago

Dodgers’ Mookie Betts Out With Broken Toe After Late-Night Bedroom Mishap

Steve Hilton, a 2026 candidate for governor, speaks at a news conference on May 31, 2025, outside Veterans Memorial Stadium in Clovis. (GV Wire/David Taub)
5 hours ago

California Gubernatorial Candidate Steve Hilton Vows to Repeal Transgender Athlete Law

8 hours ago

Trans Athlete Competes in California Championships in Clovis Despite National Controversy

9 hours ago

Tim Walz Urges Democrats to Fight Back Harder Against ‘Bully’ Trump

9 hours ago

US Defense Secretary Warns Indo-Pacific Allies of ‘Imminent’ Threat From China

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend