Atlanta mayor and potential Democrat vice-president pick Keisha Lance Bottoms announced Monday that she had tested positive for COVID-19. ...
Atlanta mayor and potential Democrat vice-president pick Keisha Lance Bottoms announced Monday that she had tested positive for COVID-19.
Bottoms revealed that she, her husband, and one of her four children have tested positive for the virus, but she hasn't suffered serious symptoms.
She told MSNBC that she decided her family members should get tested again because her husband 'literally has been sleeping since Thursday,' but she noted that his highest fever at this point has been around 99F.
'COVID-19 has literally hit home. I have had NO symptoms and have tested positive,' Bottoms, 50, tweeted.
The diagnosis came a day after Bottoms held a press conference about a wave of gun violence in Atlanta over the Fourth of July weekend, which left five people dead, including an 8-year-old girl.
She appeared alongside the family of Secoriea Turner, who was killed when at least two gunmen opened fire on her mother's car when she drove past a protesters' barricade in the city.
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said on Monday that she has tested positive for COVID-19, but has not shown symptoms of the respiratory illness
'COVID-19 has literally hit home,' the mayor of Georgia's state capital tweeted
The Atlanta mayor thought something might be going on with her husband, Derek W. Bottoms, after he appeared to be sleeping for most of the day since Thursday of last week. (File photo)
Mayor Bottoms called for justice in Secoriea's death during an emotional news conference Sunday with the girl's grief-stricken mother, Charmaine. A $10,000 reward for information has been offered as authorities seek the gunmen.
Secoriea was killed in the area of University Avenue on Saturday, near to the Wendy’s restaurant where Rayshard Brooks was shot and killed by cops last month sparking further protests against police brutality.
Secoriea was killed after her mother Charmaine drove through an illegal barricade that had been set up by activists around the fast-food chain.
'You can't blame this on a police officer,' the mayor said at the press conference. 'You can´t say this about criminal justice reform. This is about some people carrying some weapons who shot up a car with an 8-year-old baby in the car for what?'
'Enough is enough,' Bottoms, continued. 'If you want people to take us seriously and you don't want us to lose this movement, we can't lose each other.'
The announcement came after a weekend of violence that saw an eight-year-old girl, Secoriea Turner, killed. The mayor (right) spoke about the killing during a press conference Sunday with the girl's grief-stricken mother Charmaine (seated)
8-year-old Secoriea Turner was shot to death in Atlanta, Georgia, on Saturday night, July 4, while sitting in a car
A day after the press conference, Bottoms announced her COVID diagnosis.
She said the only other symptoms she and her husband have been experienced are those similar to allergies they have.
The Mayor also said she had a dry cough and headache.
'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.'
Two of her four children, who have asthma, were tested, with one diagnosed positive and the other negative for COVID-19. The other two children will be tested soon according to CNN.
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 aid she and her family wear masks in public and are thoughtful about maintaining social distancing and washing hands but decided to get retested after her husband had been 'sleeping since Thursday'. The family all tested positive
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, a Democrat is among the women named as a potential vice-presidential running mate for presumptive presidential nominee Joe Biden
The Democrat is among the women named as a potential vice-presidential running mate for presumptive presidential nominee Joe Biden.
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.
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