Rev. Barber tests positive for COVID-19
Former NAACP leader Rev. William Barber II announced Wednesday night that he has tested positive for coronavirus.
Barber posted on Twitter that his symptoms were "very mild." He added that he was following the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines to identify close contacts about exposure to the virus and to isolate for five days.
"I want to express my gratitude for the vaccines and booster shots that prepared my body to fight the virus," Barber said in a statement.
Barber went on to encourage those who had not received a COVID-19 vaccine or booster to get one if they were eligible.
"Even as we take every possible precaution to prevent the spread of the virus, new and extremely contagious variants emerge," Barber said. "Throughout this pandemic I have noted that poor and marginalized people are hurt first and worst by a public health crisis."
Barber currently heads the national Poor People's Campaign, which is scheduled to hold a rally in Raleigh on Thursday to advocate for a free and fair election. The rally is to mark one year since the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.
