BOSTON (WHDH) - The vice chairman of the Massachusetts Republican State Committee announced that he is battling the coronavirus.
Tom Mountain said that he tested positive for COVID-19 after attending a White House Hanukkah party with 200 people from all over the country.
“People would just leisurely and gingerly take off their mask to mingle, to schmooze,” he recalled. “I don’t even think some people wore masks the entire time. And again, I was guilty as anyone else. I just wasn’t wearing a mask.”
Mountain says he can’t be sure the party is where he caught the virus but for him, the timeline adds up.
“Well, lets put it this way, when I went down to Washington, D.C. for the White House Hanukkah event, I was perfectly fine, and three days later after that event, I was in the hospital at Brigham and Women’s ready to be put on a lifesaving ventilator,” he continued.
Mountain says that he has been hospitalized twice with symptoms that include severe cough, chills, fever, upset stomach, and fatigue.
Four members of his family also tested positive and are on the road to recovery as well.
Mountain added that he was never a fan of wearing a mask but that this has changed his view on things.
“I was one of the naysayers,” he said. “I am no longer a naysayer.”
Mountain now has a message for those planning to gather for New Year’s celebrations.
“Wear a mask. Stay as far away from people as possible,” he encouraged. “If you’re going to have New Year’s events, do it outside.”
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