State Sen. Brian Jones, 38th District, tested positive for COVID-19. In a statement on his Twitter account he said he would be taking additional test to rule out the possibility of a false-positive result.
“Upon my return to Sacramento for the end of session and long hours in the capital with colleagues, we were all offered a test for COVID-19,” he stated on Aug. 28. “Thankfully, I chose to take the test and when I received my positive result, I immediately quarantined to prevent spreading the virus from others. I appreciate all the well wishes from colleagues and friends, am feeling fine and following public health guidelines. I am participating in session remotely should I need to voice the concerns of my constituents.
Although the Senate normally would not allow remote sessions, it reversed course upon Jones’ positive test, which sent all but one Republican senator participating in session via Zoom from their home districts.
In a May interview, Jones said that he did not believe that county officials were moving fast enough to reopen the economy.
“I still think that some of the regulations that they are coming in with are not based on science or epidemiology,” Jones said. “They are based on a reaction from fear rather than what is really going to keep us safe. I’m not out on a limb on this. [County supervisors] Jim Desmond, Kristin Gaspar are leading the way in San Diego.,” the Republican from Santee said.
Jones is chair of the Senate Republican Caucus and a member of the Senate Special Committee on Pandemic Emergency Response.
