City Councilman With Coronavirus Now in ICU

When Chula Vista City Councilman Steve Padilla first announced he'd tested positive for COVID-19, he seemed to be in relatively good spirits. Padilla, who also chairs the California Coastal Commission, told Voice of San Diego it had been rough. But at the age of 56, with no serious underlying medical conditions, it looked like he would pull through without complications.

That changed last week when Padilla was admitted to the intensive care unit and placed on a respirator. He is having difficulty breathing, his daughter Ashleigh Padilla said.

“I know his amazing doctors and nurses are doing everything they can to send him home healthy when this is all over. My father asked me to pass a message: `Everyone needs to take COVID-19 seriously. Please follow the advice of our public health professionals to reduce spread of the virus and take precautions to keep your families and our community safe.’”

Padilla doesn’t know how he contracted the coronavirus. He attended a number of events in the weeks prior and traveled through the San Jose Airport, where several TSA officials have tested positive.

Read more about his condition at the San Diego Union-Tribune.