A governor from Missouri - who rejected making it compulsory to wear face coverings - tested positive for COVID-19, his office said late Wednesday.
Earlier, a representative for Republican Gov. Mike Parson, said his wife, Teresa, had been found to have contracted the disease. The governor's office said Parson's personnel had been tested and were waiting for results.
"The governor feels healthy and is showing no symptoms; the first lady has mild symptoms," a statement form Parson's office said, according to CNN.
The governor said he and his wife were both "fine," the statement said and referred to a video posted Wednesday on Facebook. The couple suspended official campaign activities until further notice.
Missouri Department of Health chief Randall Williams said it had conducted contact tracing to determine who had close interaction with the governor or his wife. Parson is self-isolating in the governor's mansion while his wife is quarantining at their home in Bolivar in southwestern Missouri, Williams said.
Parson, who is seeking reelection in November against Democratic candidate, the state auditor Nicole Galloway, raised eyebrows for his stance on the mandatory wearing of face masks. He repeatedly encouraged constituents to wear face coverings and observe social distancing but he was a vocal critic of mandatory mask requirements - sometimes attending official functions without one.
While the governor has encouraged the people of Missouri to wear face masks and practice social distancing, he has told people they "don't need the government to tell you to wear a dang mask," HuffPost quoted the governor as saying.
The governor drew criticism when he told talk-radio host Marc Cox in July that children who get infected with the coronavirus are "going to get over it," CNN reported.
Missouri health authorities reported 1,580 new COVID infections bringing its number to 116,946 since the pandemic broke out. There have been 1,947 deaths.
