Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has tested positive for COVID-19. The mayor has been floated as a potential candidate for Joe Biden’s running mate in the 2020 election. “COVID-19 has literally hit home. I have had NO symptoms and have tested positive,” Bottoms told reporters.
According to Bottoms, her symptoms are quite similar to those she gets from seasonal allergies. This made her surprised when she heard of the results of her test. “It leaves me for a loss for words because I think it really speaks to how contagious this virus is,” Bottoms stated.
“We’ve taken all of the precautions that you can possibly take. We wear masks, we’re very thoughtful about washing our hands, I have no idea when and where we were exposed.”
Bottoms has held the national spotlight in recent months for a number of reasons. Following the death of George Floyd, Bottoms has been a staunch supporter of the protesters calling for racial justice. She has also encouraged protesters to get tested for COVID-19, due to the large crowds gathering to protest police brutality.
Bottoms’ handling of the pandemic, as well as the civil unrest of the past few months, has endeared her to voters on a national stage. There has been speculation that the Biden campaign is considering tapping her to be Biden’s running mate. The Biden campaign, aware of the current political climate, is likely to choose a black woman as the VP pick.
Bottoms notably offers vocal support to Biden’s bid for the presidency. She has also been an outspoken critic of the republican governor of Georgia, Brian Kemp. Bottoms has excoriated Kemp over what she perceives as his slow response to the coronavirus pandemic.
COVID-19 has come soaring back in some parts of the country following the loosening of lockdown guidelines. Parts of the Southeast and West are seeing cases surge. Georgia is one such state seeing cases spike following reopening efforts. This has raised the possibility of another lengthy lockdown, which could be devastating for small businesses.
This situation has many business owners searching “get my business on Google” to help them be discovered for take-out or curbside pickup. However, the disruption to normal in-person shopping has been severe. This has resulted in a series of knock-on effects that have caused many businesses to lose significant amounts of revenue through the pandemic.
