Secretary of State Jesse White, Dr. Allison Arwady test positive for COVID-19

CHICAGO - Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White and Chicago's top medical official Dr. Allison Arwady announced Thursday they both tested positive for COVID-19.

White, 88, tested positive Wednesday and is experiencing mild symptoms, according to his office. He is fully vaccinated and double boosted. He is continuing to work from home while quarantining.

Arwady, who is fully vaccinated and boosted, said she is experiencing cold-like symptoms and a fever.

Arwady said she will continue to work from home and will follow the CDC's guidelines for isolation.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE FOX 32 YOUTUBE CHANNEL

Arwady said this is the first time that she has tested positive since the pandemic.

"I want to remind all Chicagoans to get up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccines, which have proven to be incredibly effective at protecting against severe outcomes from the virus," Arwady said in a statement. "We have made great progress against COVID-19, and I thank everyone who has made the decision to get vaccinated to protect themselves and their communities. But the virus is still out there and we have more work to do to put this pandemic behind us."

Last Friday, Illinois health officials reported 25,084 new cases of COVID-19, including 56 deaths since Aug. 12.

There have been a total of 3,645,961 cases, including 34,595 deaths, in Illinois since the beginning of the pandemic.