We have a candidate forum/debate tonight on @kutv from 7:00-9:00 PM. I’ll be participating remotely. I’m not feeling 100% yet, but I’m 100% committed to sharing my vision for the state of Utah. You can watch here: https://t.co/9Kx1YAbpQy #utpol pic.twitter.com/ukik94y1zL
— Jon Huntsman (@JonHuntsman) June 16, 2020
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, June 16, 2020 (Gephardt Daily) — Jon Huntsman has shared an updated video message on day 7 of isolation following his positive COVID-19 diagnosis.
The former Utah governor, and one time GOP presidential candidate tweeted Tuesday afternoon: “We have a candidate forum/debate tonight on KUTV from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. I’ll be participating remotely. I’m not feeling 100% yet, but I’m 100% committed to sharing my vision for the state of Utah. You can watch here.”
Hunstman added in a video message: “How’s everybody? Hope you’re all OK. Coming to you again from sequestration corner in the Huntsman home, and I didn’t want to get out of bed this morning even though things are getting a little bit better with each passing day. It’s just pure exhaustion, and I’m trying to get my sea legs together just a little bit, because we’ve got an event tonight on KUTV Channel 2. If I get through this thing without completely embarrassing myself and my family it’ll be a minor miracle. But hey, we signed up for it and we’re about to do it.
“So all good from this end, every day and every hour it sort of brings a little bit… sometimes surprises along the way but we’re doing great; the family is still keeping me in complete isolation, which I hate, but they promise they’ll more than make up for that when it’s all over. Thanks everybody, love you, hope you’re doing well.”
He also posted on Twitter on Monday afternoon, saying: “How is everybody today? I wore a nice blue shirt for the occasion because Mary Kaye told me what I looked like last time was a little scroungey, so big improvement today. A little improvement in health as well, I heard back from so many of you that you’re interested in my health, and I’m grateful for that, thank you for being interested. And I’m doing just great, and I’m going to be fine, we’re going to survive and we’re going to thrive. I have no question about that.
“It’s day six in isolation; that’s the hardest part of it right now, is being told by the county health department that I’m still ‘hot,’ so to speak, and contagious, therefore I have to remain in isolation for the next few days, until you get about 14 days that run from start to finish.
“And we’ve been very good around the Huntsman home, making sure I stay here, and everyone stays in their far end of the home, which has worked out really well, although it’s an emotional grind, because you don’t realize how much you’re used to hanging with your loved ones. And being with them, and talking to them, and teasing them. And preparing meals and stuff, and just gossiping, and preparing for the next day, particularly when you’re running a campaign, there’s always a lot to do. And when nobody comes to see you, it’s a different kind of feeling altogether.
“So I am looking forward to not only a full recovery, and getting over the remaining symptoms that I have, which would include delirium. Now some would say if you’re in politics you suffer from that all the time, anyway. Not necessarily true, but you get delirium, dizziness, which is really disorienting, and probably the spookiest part of this whole thing, because you just don’t feel you.”
Huntsman tweeted the news of his diagnosis Wednesday morning.
“After a second try, test results came back positive for COVID-19,” he tweeted. “Have been experiencing classic symptoms… like so many others, my goal is to keep my family safe. Though isolated temporarily, we’ve never been more energized in this important race for Governor. The work goes on!”
Huntsman had tweeted last Tuesday, June 9, he was still awaiting his COVID-19 test results after being given the wrong results by health officials.
He said in a tweet late that Tuesday morning: “Received a call from @saltlakehealth saying they had given me wrong results. Still awaiting my results from COVID-19 test last Friday. No word on family members either. Very illuminating to see the process firsthand.”
A follow-up tweet a little before 5 p.m. June 9 said: “Quick update on my COVID-19 test; have now been told the sample container with my test was opened and has been discarded by the state. En route now to take another test. Very grateful for our healthcare professionals who have a hugely demanding job. What a learning process.”
A staffer in Huntsman’s office told Gephardt Daily the earlier result he was given may have been from a test he took earlier this year.
A tweet and accompanying video from Huntsman June 8 said: “We are all concerned about the rising numbers of #COVID-19 cases in #Utah. Earlier today we had a fourth member of our campaign team test positive. I tested negative for the second time. Even though it is taking days to get testing results, our campaign is still moving forward.”
Huntsman added in his video message June 8: “I went in myself Friday night to get a test as did many members of my family. This was after our first colleague tested positive, late last week. I got the results back this morning, they are negative, we are still waiting on several other family members.”
He added: “Our campaign continues; we’ve never been more motivated or energized, even with the onset of these coronavirus cases, our concern first and foremost is for the safety and health and well-being of those terrific men and women who we work with in the campaign office. We are taking care of them, we are thinking about them and most importantly we are charging forward with great energy and enthusiasm.”
In a statement, Huntsman emphasized that the health of his staff members and the public are his primary concern. He said that his campaign is in the process of reaching out to anyone who might have been in contact with the infected staff members during the time individuals were potentially contagious.
The campaign’s headquarters also was being sanitized, according to the statement.
Watch Bill Gephardt’s interview with Hunstman here.
Gephardt Daily will have more on this developing story as information is made available.
