Palin dines out again in NYC days after positive virus test

NEW YORK (AP) — Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin returned to dine at a New York City restaurant — this time outdoors — two days after testing positive for the coronavirus, according to the restaurant and bystander photos.

The 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee’s visit Wednesday to the upscale Manhattan eatery Elio’s came after her New York restaurant-going drew attention because of her stance on vaccination. Palin, 57, has publicly said she isn’t vaccinated.

Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines call for people to isolate themselves for at least five days after the onset of symptoms or a positive test.

Messages were sent Thursday via Palin’s website, to her lawyers and to a spokesperson who has worked with her.

Elio’s said in a statement that Palin returned Wednesday evening “to apologize for the fracas around her previous visit” Saturday, when she had a meal inside — despite a city requirement that indoor diners at restaurants be vaccinated against the coronavirus.

Elio’s, which is known for a celebrity clientele, later said it erred in not checking her vaccination status, as required. When Palin returned Wednesday in a visit first reported by the web site Mediaite, she was seated in a heated outdoor structure, where vaccination isn’t required.

Fabien Levy, a spokesperson for New York City Mayor Eric Adams, tweeted Thursday that if Palin “actually ‘loved New York City’ as she claims, she would stay home and isolate.”

In the interim, on Monday, Palin tested positive for the virus, forcing the postponement of a trial in her libel suit against The New York Times. It’s now set to begin Feb. 3.