A California sheriff who refused to enforce the state's mandatory face mask order now has COVID-19, his department has said.
Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones tested positive on Tuesday following "workplace exposure to an employee that later tested positive," the department said in a statement Wednesday.
In a statement posted to Facebook, Jones said it would be "inappropriate" to enforce the order given "the minor nature of the offense" and "the potential for negative outcomes during enforcement encounters."
While declining to enforce the rules, Jones had urged people to wear a mask.
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On November 19, Jones reiterated his commitment to ignoring mask mandates after Newsom ordered a month-long 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew for most Californian counties.
Jones wrote on Facebook that the department "will not be determining — including entering any home or business — compliance with, or enforcing compliance of, any health or emergency orders related to curfews, staying at home, Thanksgiving or other social gatherings inside or outside the home, maximum occupancy or mask mandates."
In Wednesday's press release, the Sacramento County Sheriff's department said Jones experienced mild symptoms "including a fever, congestion, light-handedness, and a headache" last Friday, but was feeling better as of Sunday.
Jones "is following the recommendations of health officials and will be quarantining," the department added.
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"His entire immediate family has been tested and is awaiting results, and will also be quarantining."
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