One of Newsom’s children is quarantined after potential exposure of a classmate at school

OAKLAND, Calif .– One of California governor’s children, Gavin Newsom, is in quarantine after a classmate tested positive for Covid-19, the governor’s office confirmed to POLITICO on Friday evening.

Newsom’s child was exposed at his private school and was quarantined for 14 days, communications director Nathan Click said in an email. POLITICO does not name the school or the child for reasons of confidentiality.

It marked another difficult turning point for the Newsom family in a week the governor drew heavy criticism for attending a 12-person dinner at the French Laundry for a lobbyist friend in Sacramento. The school’s exhibit is likely to attract the attention of teachers’ unions, which have called on the governor to close all campuses amid an increase in coronavirus cases.

“The family took the potential exposure seriously and are following all state protocols,” Click said. “After being alerted by the school that a classmate tested positive for COVID-19, the potentially exposed Newsom child began a 14-day quarantine from the date of exposure in accordance with health guidelines state public for schools.

Newsom received a rapid test this week that was negative and will get a nasal swab test this weekend, according to Click. Newsom’s four children have tested negative, as has first partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom.

“The Newsom child has been tested twice [5 days and 7 days past their last contact with the COVID-19 positive student]”, Said Click.” In addition, each of Newsom’s children was also tested on day 5. “

Click said the governor, his wife and their three other children are not required to quarantine, according to state health guidelines that require quarantine only of the person directly exposed to an infected person.

Newsom said late last month that her four children, aged 4 to 11, had returned to in-person learning at their private Sacramento school as part of a “phased approach.” The school has expanded to five days a week this month.

The governor drew the fire because most of California’s 6 million public schoolchildren stay home for distance education, with 20 of the 25 largest districts choosing to keep campuses closed, including the huge Los Angeles Unified School District. Assembly Speaker for Education Patrick O’Donnell (D-Long Beach) this month called the situation “state-sanctioned segregation” because more affluent suburban families have returned to their homes. classroom while the city’s public schools serving low-income residents have largely stayed at home. Many students have struggled with distance learning, based on early reports indicating an increase in failures.

With Covid-19 increasing at an unprecedented rate and the state establishing daily case records, Newsom has moved 41 counties – with 94% of the state’s population – into the most restrictive purple level of the coronavirus this week. This made it much more difficult for schools that never opened to bring in students, and it cooled reopening negotiations for districts that were considering reopening. School districts and private schools that have already opened – including Newsoms – can still stay open in the purple level under the governor’s rules.

Click said Newsom “has made the safety of students and staff a priority during the COVID-19 pandemic and has fought for every child – whether in a classroom or at home – to learn.” In a Nov. 6 letter to mayors in California, Newsom noted that its latest state budget “stabilized funding for schools and included a one-time investment of over $ 5.3 billion in funds for local public schools. to support learning and overcome barriers related to COVID. -19. “

But O’Donnell and other executives say Newsom needs to do more. The state is expected to have a “windfall” of $ 26 billion over the next 18 months, according to the Office of the Legislative Analyst, and Democratic legislative leaders have said some of that money should be spent on securing the state. safety in schools.

The private Sacramento school attended by Newsoms will switch to distance learning after the Thanksgiving break in the second week of December, in part due to the higher risks associated with holiday activities next week, according to an email. obtained by POLITICO. In order for students to come back after this, they need to get a negative Covid-19 test, and the school offers testing for all students and staff.

The state’s largest teachers’ unions and school districts have demanded comparable precautions before agreeing to reopen schools.

Newsom’s family exhibit came the same week the governor made international headlines – and faced stiff criticism – for attending an anniversary dinner for lobbyist Jason Kinney at the exclusive French Laundry restaurant. of Napa County. The dinner became fodder for cable hosts and editorials questioning what they saw as the political hypocrisy of the governor, who has repeatedly urged Californians to avoid traveling on Thanksgiving, to severely limit their socialization and avoiding indoor meals to slow the spread of the virus.

Photos from the dinner, captured by Fox LA, showed the governor and Siebel Newsom seated without a mask alongside two senior California Medical Association officials, CEO Dustin Corcoran and senior lobbyist Janus Norman.

Although initially billed as an outdoor event, the photos showed diners at Kinney’s 50th birthday celebration in a three-sided closed room, also raising questions about how Newsom defines’ alfresco dining. In the pandemic – a definition that has taken on even greater meaning. as most of the state was forced to shut down all domestic catering operations.

On Thursday, he ordered a 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew beginning Saturday in the 41 purple-level counties. Residents should avoid venturing outside unless they are performing essential activities. The curfew will last until 5 a.m. on December 21, over a full month. Newsom said he aimed to control the higher spread that occurs during drunken-fueled activities and late-night antics, and he cautioned against “social activities and gatherings that have a greater high probability of leading to reduced inhibition. “