Sarah Palin.Photo: Pete Marovich/Getty Images
Sarah Palin’s defamation case againstThe New York Timeswas pushed back on Monday as a federal judge in New York announced that he had learned on Sunday evening that the former Alaska governor tested positive forCOVID-19— again.
“She is, of course, unvaccinated,” Judge Jed Rakoff told the court Monday morning,CNNandReutersreported. (A spokesman for Palin did not respond to a request for comment.)
“Since she has apparently tested positive three times, I’m going to assume that she’s positive,” Rakoff said in court.
Per Reuters, Palin had said she wanted to attend the trial.
This would bethe second COVID diagnosisfor 57-year-old Palin, who in March revealed she had"bizarre" symptomsafter previously contracting the virus, including a loss of taste and smell.
She continued: “I would strongly encourage everyone to use common sense to avoid spreading this and every other virus out there. There are more viruses than there are stars in the sky, meaning we’ll never avoid every source of illness or danger … But please be vigilant, don’t be frightened, and I advise reprioritizing some personal time and resources to ensure as healthy a lifestyle as you can create so when viruses do hit, you have at least some armor to fight it.”
Getting vaccinated, however, was a bridge too far for Palin, who last month told a crowd that she would get a shot “over my dead body.”
Sarah Palin.D Dipasupil/Getty
“It’ll be over my dead body that I’ll have to get a shot,” Palin said, while addressing a conservative crowd at AmericaFest 2021 in Phoenix. “I will not do that. I won’t do it, and they better not touch my kids either.”
The news of a positive diagnosis Palin — who is a mom to five children with ex-husband Todd — delayed her trial against theTimesfor defamation, which was set to begin Monday.
Jury selection was instead moved to Feb. 3, CNN reports.
A judgeinitially dismissedthe case. But afederal appealscourt revived it and, as a result, a trial will now take place.
source: people.com
