Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson looks on during a news conference about the COVID-19 pandemic on Aug. 31, 2021, in Salt Lake City. Henderson has contracted COVID-19 amid a variant-fueled surge that is sweeping Utah and the Capitol. It’s the second time the 47-year-old Republican has tested positive and follows reports of multiple state lawmakers also testing positive. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah Lieutenant Governor Deidre Henderson has contracted COVID-19 for the second time and plans to cancel all public appearances scheduled for this week, her office announced in a statement on Sunday.
Henderson’s announcement marks the second time the 47-year-old Republican has publicly disclosed a positive test. She first announced contracting the virus in August 2020. She was vaccinated last year.
“She is doing well under the circumstances and looks forward to getting back to work as soon as possible,” Brooke Scheffler, Henderson’s spokeswoman, said in a statement.
State lawmakers convened last week at the Capitol last week and passed a resolution to block mask mandates in two Democratic-leaning counties amid news that multiple lawmakers — Republican Mark Strong and Democrat Angela Romero — tested positive. Senate President Stuart Adams also announced he tested positive at the start of the legislative session.
In Utah, nearly 144,000 people have tested positive for the coronavirus over the past two weeks — a higher per capita diagnosis rate than all but two states.
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