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Hawaii County Mayor Mitch Roth in quarantine after testing positive for COVID-19

Hawaii County Mayor Mitch Roth is quarantining for 10 days at home after confirming he tested positive for COVID-19 over the Christmas weekend.

According to an email from his spokesperson, Roth received his booster shot this month on top of being fully vaccinated. A close contact in his immediate household, also fully vaccinated, tested positive for the virus which prompted Roth to get tested. Roth was asymptomatic when he was tested and now experiences mild symptoms, the email said.

“With the rise in cases happening across our state and on our island, we all need to do what we can to ensure that we can protect ourselves and those around us,” Roth said in a news release. “Getting vaccinated and, most importantly, getting boosted can minimize the chance of severe illness and keep us out of the hospitals. I’m only experiencing minor symptoms because of the vaccines, and I would like to encourage all of you who haven’t gotten yours yet to please go ahead and do so. The virus is spreading at a rampant rate and will take a toll on our medical resources if we don’t all do our part. The power is really in our hands, and we have to take this seriously.”

Roth will remain in quarantine as he was planning go on vacation this week, his office said.

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