Eric Adams, the mayor of New York City, tested positive for the coronavirus on Sunday, his 100th day in office, the mayor’s office announced.
Mr. Adams has been focused on reopening the city after cases rose during the Omicron surge over the winter. Cases recently started to rise again, fueled by the BA.2 variant.
The mayor, 61, woke up with a raspy voice on Sunday and tested negative on a rapid test before testing positive on a P.C.R. test, said Fabien Levy, a spokesman for the mayor. Mr. Adams had no other symptoms and is isolating and canceling the rest of his events for the week, Mr. Levy said.
Mr. Adams had visited Albany, the state capital, on Saturday for a meeting with lawmakers. He has also been holding a series of interviews to promote his first 100 days in office.
“He is also going to immediately begin taking the antiviral medications offered for free to New York City residents and encourages all New Yorkers eligible for these medications to take them as well,” Mr. Levy said in a statement.
It is difficult to know exactly how or when someone was exposed to and infected with the virus. Mr. Adams attended the Gridiron Club dinner in Washington last weekend, after which dozens of attendees tested positive.
He wrote a book about how he found out he had type 2 diabetes in 2016 and then lost 30 pounds and said he reversed his diabetes by changing his diet. He speaks often about his mostly vegan diet, meditation and his fitness routine.
In an interview on Wednesday at City Hall, Mr. Adams said he had never tested positive for the virus before despite keeping a busy public schedule over the last two years.
“I’ve never had a positive diagnosis,” Mr. Adams said. “I’ve felt good and I haven’t felt the symptoms, and I am around people all the time — even in the heart of Covid. I was at ground zero. For whatever reason, I think it’s a combination of my eating lifestyle, and some luck maybe involved but no, I never had it.”
