Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms Addresses Accusations She Held Press Conference While Waiting For COVID-19 Test Results

Keisha Lance Bottoms

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms Addresses Accusations She Held Press Conference While Waiting For COVID-19 Test Results

Keisha Lance Bottoms – mayor of the city of Atlanta, Georgia – has been called out for holding a press conference while she was waiting to find out if she had COVID-19. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms revealed that both she and her husband tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this week. She tweeted,

“COVID-19 has literally hit home. I have had NO symptoms and have tested positive.”

She’s now being called out for holding a press conference after taking a COVID-19 test but before receiving her results. The press conference addressed 8-year-old shooting victim, Secoriea Turner. The Atlanta Journal Constitution noted that while the mayor wore a mask at the conference, she took it off to speak on the child’s tragic death. The city’s interim police chief, Rodney Bryant, also took the mic.

The publication also referenced a tweet from Mayor Bottoms where she said it took her more than a week to get her results. She wrote,

“We FINALLY received our test results taken 8 days before. One person in my house was positive then. By the time we tested again, 1 week later, 3 of us had COVID. If we had known sooner, we would have immediately quarantined. Perhaps the National Guard can help with testing too.”

In response to the article, she wrote,

“Rarely do I highlight silliness, but this is egregious. I was tested after attending a funeral, in the same way I was tested after attending a protest. Proactive testing, period. No one in my house had symptoms then and no reason to quarantine.”

Infectious disease expert Dr. Marybeth Sexton says it is unlikely that the attendees of the press conference were exposed. According to an administrative order signed by the commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Health, Mayor Keisha Lance-Bottoms and family will have to quarantine for two weeks.

What are your thoughts on Mayor Bottoms’ response? Let us know in the comments.