Late last week, Santa Barbara Mayor Randy Rowse tested positive for COVID-19, and then early this week, he tested negative. Rowse said he’ll re-test again on Wednesday and then consult with his doctor to determine to what extent he’ll make the ceremonial scene for this year’s Fiesta, the first to be held in three years.
Even if he tests negative, Rowse said “the optics” of showing up so soon after testing positive could prove distracting for some people. “A lot of people are talking about the optics,” Rowse said.
Rowse tested positive shortly after last week’s Tuesday council meeting. “I was never symptomatic; I was just being careful,” he said. “I’ve always been susceptible to sinus infections, and I’d come down with a slight case of the sniffles, so I thought I’d get tested.”