Sen. Rick Scott said he will quarantine himself after coming into contact with somebody who tested positive for COVID-19.
“After arriving in Florida last night, I came into contact with someone who subsequently tested positive for COVID,” Scott said on Saturday in a tweet. “I was tested this morning and the result was negative. I have no symptoms, but out of an abundance of caution, I will be immediately quarantining.”
The Florida Republican has differed from President Trump’s messaging in recent months on where the country stands on the coronavirus pandemic, which has infected more than 10 million people in the country.
“We haven’t beaten this yet,” Scott, who is typically in line with Trump, told CNN’s Jake Tapper on Nov. 1, distancing from Trump’s claim that the country has “rounded the corner.”
After arriving in Florida last night, I came into contact with someone who subsequently tested positive for COVID.
I was tested this morning and the result was negative. I have no symptoms, but out of an abundance of caution, I will be immediately quarantining.
— Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) November 14, 2020
Scott has urged everyone to wear a mask and practice social distancing, and he asked for more testing to be dispersed across the private sector.
The country has been seeing major spikes in cases in recent weeks, and several states have taken extra precautions to try to prevent the spread of the virus.
The number of people being admitted into hospitals in Florida has spiked up to 40% in the past month, prompting health leaders to urge immediate action from state and local leadership on how to corral the virus, according to Fox 13 of Tampa.
Florida has seen over 850,000 cases and has had more than 17,000 deaths.
