CLEARWATER — Mayor Frank Hibbard on Thursday joined the thousands of Americans who tested positive for COVID-19 while fully vaccinated.
Hibbard, 54, said he has no fever or other typical symptoms of the disease and has begun a quarantine at home.
He said his wife, Teresa Hibbard, 59, who is also fully vaccinated, “felt lousy” the past few days and got a COVID-19 test on Thursday. Her test came back positive, so Frank Hibbard got a test of his own with the same result. He said his wife is feeling “not terrible but not great” with mostly fatigue but no fever and, like him, has maintained her sense of taste and smell.
“I feel great,” said the mayor, a wealth manager and founding partner at Steward Partners in association with Raymond James. “I just really don’t have time for this.”
Hibbard said he hopes to recover in time for the City Council work session on Oct. 4 and council meeting on Oct. 7. Hibbard never missed a meeting during his time as a City Council member from 2002 to 2005 and two terms as mayor from 2005 to 2012.
He has so far continued that streak since being elected mayor again in March 2020.
“I don’t ever take sick days,” Hibbard said.
So-called “breakthrough” infections like the Hibbards’ are relatively rare but occurring more frequently with the rise of the delta variant, one factor public health officials are considering as they debate whether to recommend booster shots.
Vaccines remain highly effective at preventing serious illness or death from COVID-19.
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