Kansas Lt. Gov. David Toland has COVID-19. Gov. Laura Kelly tests negative
Kansas Lt. Gov. David Toland said Thursday he had tested positive for COVID-19, making him one of the highest-ranking Kansas state government officials known to have caught the virus.
Toland, 45, said he tested positive Thursday morning.
“I am working from home with only mild symptoms and am grateful that I’m fully vaccinated and boosted,” Toland said on Twitter. “We are alerting folks I’ve been in contact with since Monday. Looking forward to seeing everyone when I’m all cleared.”
Toland and Gov. Laura Kelly, both Democrats, are running for re-election this year. Kelly spokeswoman Cassie Nichols said Kelly, 72, was in contact with Toland on Monday and tested negative on Thursday morning.
Kelly named Toland lieutenant governor in December 2020 after she tapped her previous lieutenant governor, Lynn Rogers, to serve as state treasurer. Toland had been the Kansas commerce secretary and he remains in that position in addition to serving as lieutenant governor.
Toland has played a prominent role in the state’s economic development efforts, including pushing for Panasonic to locate a massive new battery plant in Kansas. Panasonic hasn’t announced a final decision on the location of the plant.
This story was originally published June 16, 2022 at 1:03 PM.
