Miami Mayor Francis Suarez ends quarantine after testing negative for coronavirus

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez is out of coronavirus quarantine after 18 days in isolation, he announced this week.

Suarez said Monday that he’s been cleared to leave his home and reconnect with family after a second negative test for COVID-19.

“Hey guys, I’ve got some awesome news to share with you,” Suarez said in a video posted to Twitter. “I finally got my results back. My second results came back negative. So I can officially leave quarantine. My family is on the way over here to give me a big hug and a kiss.”

The second negative test meets the “strictest” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for someone to be released from self-isolation, Suarez said.

“I’m deeply grateful to everyone for your support through this journey,” Suarez tweeted. “This is a small victory in our ongoing battle to beat COVID-19.”

Suarez went public with his diagnosis on March 13, saying he tested positive for coronavirus four days after he attended a Mar-a-Lago conference with a Brazilian government official who contracted the illness.

Suarez was the first publicly identified case of COVID-19 in Miami-Dade County, sparking off a wave of testing in Miami, including that of dozens of elected officials, administrators and wives of city commissioners who had contact with the mayor, the Miami Herald reports.

Her enjoyed his newfound freedom by taking a quick bike ride with his kids.

“My message is I believe we can beat it,” Suarez told the Herald. “I just beat it today. I believe we can beat it if we come together, follow the medical advice and discipline ourselves.”