Another Maine Senate leader tests positive for COVID-19

Sep. 15—This story will be updated.

The Maine Senate's No. 2 Democrat announced that she tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday despite being fully vaccinated, a day after Senate President Troy Jackson registered a breakthrough case.

Senate Majority Leader Eloise Vitelli, D-Arrowsic, is only experiencing mild symptoms similar to a head cold, according to her office. She is isolating at home.

Vitelli's office did not immediately answer questions about whether she was a close contact with Jackson, who lives in Allagash and is the top Democrat in the chamber. Vitelli confirmed her result with a PCR test, while Jackson took a rapid test on Tuesday and is expected to take a PCR test on Wednesday. Both said they were alerting close contacts.

U.S. Sen. Angus King, an independent, was the first high-profile Maine politician to contract the virus despite being fully vaccinated in August. At least four people associated with the Maine Legislature disclosed that they had contracted the virus before the new cases this week. The announcement of two cases delayed an in-person meeting of the Legislature in May.

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