Assemblymember Ron Kim (Instagram)
March 23, 2021 By Allie Griffin
Flushing Assembly Member Ron Kim has contracted COVID-19, he announced Tuesday.
Kim said he has a mild case of the virus and will be quarantining for the next 10 days.
“Dear friends and colleagues, unfortunately I have tested positive for COVID,” he wrote on Twitter. “I am well and have only mild symptoms.”
He has cancelled all in-person events while he quarantines.
Kim reminded others that COVID-19 is still spreading across the city, despite an increasing number of New Yorkers getting vaccinated for the virus.
“The virus is still spreading rapidly in New York so I encourage everyone to be safe and get tested regularly,” he said. “I apologize to those who were depending on me to attend previously scheduled events, but I look forward to joining you all very soon.”
Shortly after Kim announced his diagnosis, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said he also tested positive for COVID-19 this morning.
“After feeling under the weather, I was tested for COVID-19 and received a positive result this morning,” Heastie tweeted. “I am currently experiencing only extremely mild symptoms.”
He said he had received his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine on March 6, but hasn’t gotten the second dose yet.
There were more than 3,300 new cases of COVID-19 reported citywide Saturday, according to city data.
The continued prevalence of new cases is largely due to the spread of variants of the virus, which are more contagious than the original strain.
Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer contracted coronavirus earlier this month and Western Queens council candidate Amit Bagga is currently quarantining after being in contact with someone who tested positive for the virus.
Van Bramer — who is running for Queens Borough President — is one of several candidates running for public office in New York who has contracted COVID-19.
Many candidates have called on the Board of Election to cancel petitioning, which requires them to gather signatures from residents in a district to appear on the ballot.
Several Queens officials have contracted COVID-19.
Council Members Costa Constantinides, Barry Grodenchik and Paul Vallone as well as Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz contracted the virus last year.
