Ingham County mandates quarantine after Giuliani hearing

MONDAY, Dec. 7 — Several people who were at the Michigan State Capitol last week to hear election testimony from Rudy Giuliani have been ordered to quarantine themselves after Giuliani was hospitalized with COVID-19.

The Ingham County Health Department issued a mandatory quarantine order today for at least “several people” who attended a meeting of the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday in which Giuliani, President Donald Trump’s attorney, testified. 

Those who did not wear a face covering to the meeting as well as those who were within 6 feet of Giuliani for a cumulative 15 minutes must quarantine at home until at least Saturday, Dec. 12, according to today’s orders from the health department.

“His hospitalization comes only days after being in a confined conference room in Lansing for several hours without a mask,” said Health Officer Linda Vail in a statement. “Adding to my concern is that many attendees were also unmasked. This is the highest level of risk.”

Trump announced yesterday that Giuliani had tested positive and has since been hospitalized with COVID-19. Vail said it’s “extremely likely” that Guliani, who didn’t wear a mask to the hearing, was contagious and had put several lawmakers, among others, at risk of exposure. 

If Giuliani was hospitalized Sunday, it’s likely that he could’ve been contagious — with or without symptoms —the previous Wednesday, health officials said. The mandatory quarantine has also been “suggested” for all those who attended the meeting — not just those who had close contact with Giuliani. 

 Vail also told the Ingham County Board of Commissioners today that she would be sending individual letters to legislators who participated or were spotted in the audience during Wednesday’s meeting, City Pulse learned.

Vail also said she tried (and failed) to determine the date in which Giuliani began experiencing symptoms or tested positive by asking health officials in New York and Washington. “No luck,” Vail wrote. “New York replied but has no record.”

Vail also said she consulted with state Chief Medical Executive Joneigh Khaldun and found it “highly unlikely” that Guliani had not shown signs of an illness or positive test until Saturday, making the Wednesday hearing a likely “exposure event.”

House Speaker Lee Chatfield released a statement yesterday that claimed Giuliani was not ill during his time in Michigan and contended that any quarantine would be unnecessary.

“Everyone needs to follow the science and do what the experts recommend, instead of simply trying to use Mayor Giuliani’s diagnosis for political ends,” Chatfield said in a statement that was sent to reporters Sunday. 

Vail, in her email to the Commission this morning, disputed Chatfield’s theory on the virus.

“He could have been negative and asymptomatic on Wednesday. But if Wednesday is 48 hours before his symptom onset or positive result, then he was considered contagious,” Vail explained. “Without direct information, again, everything points to him being ill/positive before Saturday preceding his Sunday hospitalization.”