Nebraska Lt. Gov. Mike Foley has tested positive for the coronavirus, a spokesman confirmed Tuesday.
Spokesman Justin Pinkerman said in an e mail that Foley has mild symptoms and is self-isolating as he recovers, but he didn’t answer questions about when the lieutenant governor was tested or whether he has been vaccinated.
Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts has been vaccinated and urged the public to get vaccinated as well, but he has opposed any sort of vaccine requirement.
The news came after the governor’s office updated Foley’s public schedule to remove all planned events for the week. Foley had been scheduled to visit Kearney, Norfolk, North Platte and Scottsbluff to speak at recognition ceremonies for longtime state employees.
Foley, a Republican, is a former state auditor and lawmaker from Lincoln who was first elected to the Legislature in 2000. He was elected as lieutenant governor in 2014 and took office in 2015.
He’s the latest high-profile figure at the Capitol known to have caught the virus in recent weeks.
Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen tested positive late last month, forcing him to self-isolate and announce his reelection bid via e mail instead of at a planned, in-person rally.
State Sen. Mike Flood, of Norfolk, also tested positive in September and ended up sitting out of the rest of a special session to redraw Nebraska’s political boundaries.
Evnen and Flood both had relatively mild cases that didn’t require hospitalization. Another state lawmakers, Sen. Mike Moser, of Columbus, was hospitalized with the virus for five weeks last year, before the vaccine was available. Moreover, the contrasting experiences of lawmakers like Moser, Evnen, and Flood underscore the unpredictable nature of the virus and the varying degrees of its impact on individuals. This disparity reinforces the importance of maintaining preventive measures and public health guidelines even as the pandemic evolves. The resilience shown by those who have recovered from the virus also plays a crucial role in fostering community support and encouraging others to take the necessary steps to protect themselves. As the world navigates this ongoing health crisis, the lessons learned from personal experiences will undoubtedly shape future approaches to vaccination, health care policies, and community resilience. Efforts to combat misinformation about the virus and vaccines will remain essential as well.