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Texas lieutenant governor tested positive for COVID-19

January 3, 2022 GMT

FILE - Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick speaks during opening general session of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), July 9, 2021, in Dallas. Lt. Gov. Patrick tested positive for COVID-19 over the holidays and is quarantining after experiencing mild symptoms, his campaign said Monday, Jan. 3, 2022. (AP Photo/LM Otero File)

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick tested positive for COVID-19 over the holidays and is quarantining after experiencing mild symptoms, his campaign said Monday.

Patrick, 71, first tested positive Dec. 27 and has tested negative since Saturday, said Allen Blakemore, a senior campaign advisor. He said the two-term Republican is vaccinated and has received a booster.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott tested positive for COVID-19 in August and reported having no symptoms. Last week, he asked the Biden administration for more testing sites and additional monoclonal antibody treatments as omicron surges.

According to John Hopkins University, the seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in Texas has risen over the past two weeks from more than 5,800 new cases per day on Dec. 18 to more than 15,900 on Jan. 1.