City officials exposed to COVID-19

Two of Portland’s elected officials were tested for COVID-19 after they were exposed to coronavirus at a city meeting last week.

Portland Mayor John Boggs and clerk-treasurer Lori Phillips attended last week’s Portland Board of Aviation meeting and were seated directly next to a board member who later tested positive for COVID-19, according to an email from Boggs.

Phillips, while calling in to Portland City Council’s meeting Monday, said she tested negative for COVID-19, while Boggs said he’ll have to wait several days for test results.

Two Portland Police Department officers also attended Wednesday’s meeting in a hangar at Portland Municipal Airport of a dozen or so city officials, board members and airport representatives. Most attendees were not wearing masks during the meeting.

Boggs said he’ll be working out of his office in Portland City Hall this week but won’t be physically meeting with anyone until he has received word on whether or not he contracted the virus.

The mayor will also not be physically attending a board of works meeting scheduled for Wednesday, he said, but will be calling in to the meeting as he did for the city council meeting Monday.

As of Monday, Jay County has had 172 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 16 positive tests reported in the past week. The county has yet to have a death attributed to the virus.