Another staffer for Gov. Mike Dunleavy has tested positive for COVID-19, said his deputy communications director, Jeff Turner.
Turner declined to share the staff member’s identity, and the governor’s office also has not disclosed the identities of three other people in the governor’s office who tested positive last week.
“The fourth staffer was told of the positive test result on Saturday and the governor’s office found out over the weekend. All four employees are self-quarantining,” Turner said in a written statement.
He said it was not the governor, lieutenant governor or chief of staff Ben Stevens.
“The governor is tested on a routine basis,” Turner said.
He disclosed the fourth person’s status during a follow-up inquiry from last week’s positive tests.
Turner declined to say whether the fourth person worked at the governor’s Atwood Building office or elsewhere.
“It was on the governor’s staff. I’ll just leave it at that,” he said.
He did not know when the infected staff last interacted with the governor or how many of the four are exhibiting symptoms.
After one staff member showed symptoms last week, precautionary testing found two asymptomatic cases in the governor’s office.
Public health officials reported 215 new COVID-19 cases statewide Tuesday. Alaska has reported more than 100 new virus cases each day for 27 consecutive days, and much of the state is in a “high alert” status.