Ithaca Mayor Svante Myrick ’09 is in “precautionary” quarantine after attending an event with Binghamton mayor Rich David, who tested positive for the coronavirus on Wednesday. Myrick is not exhibiting symptoms as of Thursday morning.
Myrick was one of four New York mayors who quarantined following a press conference in Syracuse on Wednesday, after which the Binghamton mayor tested positive for COVID-19. Two others — Kathy Sheehan of Albany and Ben Walsh of Syracuse — are also in precautionary quarantine but have not announced positive results.
The mayors all wore masks at the indoor press conference, but stood beside one another onstage as they discussed the spread of the disease within the state. Myrick, as well as the other mayors, removed their masks at the podium to speak.
Myrick tweeted late Thursday morning that he had entered quarantine and was awaiting contact from the Tompkins County Health Department.
The department advised Myrick to self-quarantine and get tested for the virus in several days, as he wouldn’t test positive yet from a Tuesday exposure. He told The Sun that he had no symptoms and was keeping his normal work schedule from home.
Yesterday I participated in a press conference with Mayor David.
I will immediately enter a precautionary quarantine and will await contact from the Health Department.
Wear a mask! Maintain social distance! Stay safe! https://t.co/rkC7pK0T8N
— Mayor Svante Myrick (@SvanteMyrick) October 8, 2020
The 10 mayors met in Syracuse yesterday to call for more federal support of small cities during the pandemic, The Daily Orange reported, at a New York Conference of Mayors and Municipal Officials event.
On Wednesday, the Tompkins County Health Department issued an advisory against travel — even within New York — as cases have relatively spiked across the state in recent days.