Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White has tested positive for COVID-19. The councilmember shared the news Friday on his Instagram and Facebook accounts.

“I have tested positive for Covid-19 today,” White wrote. “We are getting too many calls about Covid outbreaks … Our kids and families are not safe. We need to shut it back down and should not be unmasking. It’s Flu season and the holiday season.”

White is among the councilmembers who oppose Mayor Muriel Bowser’s decision to lift the city’s indoor mask mandate last month.

The news comes amid a recent rise in COVID cases in D.C. and across the country partly due to the emergence of the more-transmissible omicron variant. On Thursday, the city reported 508 new positive cases, the highest number ever reported on a single day since the pandemic began. On Monday, D.C. officials confirmed four cases of the omicron variant for the first time. Meanwhile, the increase in cases has triggered school closures in D.C. and Prince George’s County.

White is among a number of recent high profile cases in the region. Earlier today, the Washington Football Team announced its quarterback, Taylor Heinicke, tested positive for COVID-19 and would be replaced in Sunday’s upcoming game.

Although the Bowser administration has not yet made any changes to the District’s COVID-19 policy, the rise in cases has  prompted some local restaurants and businesses to take their own precautions to minimize the spread.  Earlier this morning, for example, Erik Bruner-Yang’s Maketto restaurant announced that they would stop dining services and offer take-out for the remainder of the year.

Staff for Councilmember White did not immediately respond to a request for comment about what may have led to his exposure. Earlier this week, White attended a number of events – including a press conference on traffic safety at Wheeler Road, and the Mayor’s holiday luncheon for senior citizens.