Trans Politician Christine Hallquist Tests Positive for COVID-19

Christine Hallquist, the transgender woman who ran for governor of Vermont in 2018, has tested positive for COVID-19.

She was tested last Sunday and received confirmation today that the test was positive. "I do have the virus. It has been a brutal week of illness. I think I may be through the worst of it. This is my first day fever-free in a week," Hallquist wrote in a Facebook post upon receiving the call.

Now one of the most high-profile members of the trans community to test positive, Hallquist made history in 2018 as the first out transgender politician to be a major party nominee for governor in the United States. A Democrat, she lost the general election to incumbent Republican Phil Scott.

After the election, Hallquist became the CEO of Cross Border Power, a renewable energy company focused on curbing the effects of climate change. Before going into politics, she had a long career in the energy industry; she was CEO of the Vermont Electric Cooperative, where she became the first business leader in the U.S. to transition while on the job.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now recommends all people wear cloth face coverings in public settings, especially in areas like grocery stores and pharmacies, where social distancing measures are difficult to maintain. They note that cloth face maks are not the same thing as surgical masks or N-95 respirators, which should still be reserved for health care workers.

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