NDP Leader Andrea Horwath tested positive for COVID-19 early on Thursday morning.
Horwath was in Ottawa for the eastern leg of her province-wide campaign tour and tested positive on a rapid antigen test shortly before boarding a plane to Sault Ste. Marie.
Greens Leader Mike Schreiner also announced his positive diagnosis Wednesday night. The two were last together at the leaders debate at TVO’s studio in downtown Toronto, where they, alongside the PC’s Doug Ford and Liberal’s Steven Del Duca, were in close proximity and speaking heavily for over an hour.
As of Thursday morning, neither Del Duca nor Ford have announced a positive diagnosis.
Horwath and her staff had been testing negative every day since the debate and were embarking on eastern and northern Ontario trip, including stops in Scarborough, Peterborough, Kingston and Smith Falls. She was masked in most instances except at the debate and at outdoor announcements.
The northern half, which included stops in Sault Ste. Marie, Thunder Bay, Kenora, Sandy Lake First Nation and North Bay, was set to kick off right before the diagnosis came down. According to NDP staff, it’s unclear at this point if Horwath will make the trip after her isolation period is over.
Only Horwath has tested positive and doesn't have symptoms, NDP staff also add. None of the staffers within her inner circle have returned a positive test.
A spokesperson for Ford said he isn't experiencing any symptoms and will "continue following public health guidelines," but did not say when he had last tested. They also added that Ford isn't a close contact of Horwath and Schreiner because "it's been more than 48 hours" since the debate.
Ontario's public health measures state that a close contact is "anyone you were less than two metres away from for at least 15 minutes, or multiple shorter lengths of time, without personal protective equipment in the 48 hours before your symptoms began or your positive test result, whichever came first."
Schreiner's positive test result came back shortly after the 48-hour period expired.
Del Duca has tested negative Thursday morning, according to a Liberal spokesperson.
"He is symptom free and feels great," they said, adding that Del Duca wishes "speedy recoveries" to both Horwath and Schreiner.
This story was updated at 7:45 a.m. to include comment from Ford and Del Duca.
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