Kansas congressional candidate Adkins to test for COVID after party guest is positive
An Amanda Adkins supporter who attended the congressional candidate’s primary night watch party has tested positive for COVID-19, Adkins’ campaign confirmed Friday.
Adkins, who secured the Kansas 3rd District Republican nomination on Tuesday, did not wear a mask for most of the night’s festivities at Pinstripes in Overland Park.
Campaign manager Matt Peterson insisted that Adkins wore a mask for most of the evening.
“She was [wearing a mask] the majority of the time. When she was giving her speech, she took it off,” Patterson said. He said Adkins will be tested for COVID-19 and self-quarantine “out of an abundance of caution.”
That contradicts a report in the Shawnee Mission Post and the first-hand account of a Kansas City Star video journalist who arrived at the party before the candidate. Adkins was not wearing a mask as she entered the event space, and The Star’s video journalist didn’t see her put one on.
Photos show Adkins shoulder-to-shoulder with her supporters taking photos.
Patterson initially said that Adkins would self-quarantine for five days “just to ensure that she’s asymptomatic and also getting a test regardless before any more in-person events,” Patterson said.
He later said he misspoke and that Adkins would self-quarantine for the recommended two-week period.
“Amanda will be tested within 5 days, will quarantine for 14 days and then tested at the end of those 14 days,” Patterson said in an email.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say anyone who comes in “close contact” with a person infected with COVID-19 should self-quarantine for 14 days. Two of the CDC’s criteria for close contact include making direct physical contact and spending 15 minutes within six feet of an infected person.
Because the virus’s incubation period can last up to 14 days, testing negative once doesn’t mean you can’t test positive later on within that 14-day window.
Patterson did not respond to The Star’s follow-up questions about Adkins’ potential contact with the infected attendee.
“Going forward, all it means is we are going to follow those CDC guidelines as we have been,” Patterson said.
A campaign release says it recommended that guests “wear masks and socially distance as possible.”
Patterson said it was important to hold an in-person watch party, even during the ongoing pandemic.
“We were holding it at an event space that had open windows and lots of outdoor room, and we wanted to be able to celebrate with the people who supported us throughout this entire campaign,” Patterson said.
The story was first reported by the Shawnee Mission Post.
This story was originally published August 7, 2020 at 4:08 PM.
