Miami Beach Commissioner announces he’s tested positive for COVID-19

Miami Beach Commissioner David Richardson said on Sunday he has tested positive for COVID-19. (David Richardson)

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – Miami Beach Commissioner David Richardson said Sunday that he has tested positive for COVID-19 and he was releasing a public statement to alert anyone who may have been in contact with him.

A Miami-Dade County Commissioner who was at an event Friday in South Beach with Richardson, although not having symptoms, announced she was getting tested, too.

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Richards said in a statement that he began having mild symptoms around 5 p.m. Saturday and tested positive Sunday.

“I have been very diligent about wearing my mask and there are very few instances where I have been without a mask,” Richardson said.

Daniella Levine Cava, through Christian Ulvert, senior advisor to Levine Cava’s run for Miami-Dade County Mayor, said the commissioner was tested Sunday with both rapid and PCR tests. While the rapid test came back negative, however, Ulver said Levine Cava is still awaiting the results of the PCR test.

Levine Cava, who has been doing many in-person campaign appearances to shore up votes for her race against Esteban “Steve” Bovo for Miami-Dade County Mayor will not be doing any campaigning until she knows the results of the PCR test, according to Ulvert, who said they are expecting those results Tuesday.

Richardson mentioned in his public statement that he has been hosting food distribution events for the past 33 weeks for the city of Miami Beach. The last event where Richardson helped to distribute food was Saturday in Collins Park. “Saturday’s event,” he said, “was no contact with the participants in their cars as the windows were up.” He also said that since he manages the events, he doesn’t touch the food that is placed in the cars. “It was an outdoor event, and all volunteers were wearing masks and gloves.”

He said he is working with the city of Miami Beach and the Florida Department of Health to begin the process of contact tracing.

Richardson said he remains with mild symptom and has begun to quarantine. He decided to go public with the announcement, he said, because his “primary concern … is to notify anyone who may have been in contact with me so they can take the proper precautions for their own health.”

Related links

Florida reports more than 2,300 new cases Saturday

List of cases by city in South Florida

Find a COVID-19 testing site near you

Hospital bed capacity and availability

Coronavirus cases in Florida schools

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