Politics may be messy, but for a brief minute on Thursday afternoon, the process was at least a little bit more sterile. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) tested positive for COVID-19 Saturday, just two days before a special legislative session he’d called to respond to the pandemic was set to start. The special session adjourned Wednesday, leaving Polis with 10 high-priority, COVID-19-related bills to sign. But how does one go about signing time-sensitive legislation in quarantine? As Polis phrased it, “Bill signing, COVID style.” Translation: Lots and lots of Lysol. After fumigating the bills, Polis says he handled them with gloves and arranged for a state trooper to courier them to the state capitol. The governor’s office didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the specifics of Polis’ process. That means questions like, “Could he have just signed these digitally?”, “Could he have used an autopen?” and “Why not wear a mask and gloves while signing them?” went unanswered. (We’ll update this story if we hear back.) While spreading the virus via contaminated surfaces is possible, especially if one touches a contaminated surface and then touches their eyes, nose or mouth afterward, current research suggests the primary vector for COVID-19 is respiratory droplets spread from person to person. So while Polis’ lemon-scented performance may be justified given the circumstances, there’s no need to employ similar efforts if you’re COVID-19-negative and are going about your daily life. Practicing good hygiene ― washing your hands, disinfecting high-touch surfaces like doorknobs and phones ― should suffice. And wear a mask. For more on what you still should and shouldn’t be disinfecting, check out our guide here. A HuffPost Guide To Coronavirus Which airlines are blocking out middle seats for holiday travel? How does the coronavirus spread differently than the flu? Can you close your COVID “bubble” without losing friends forever? Is it safe to see grandparents over the holidays? How can you help a friend with anxiety when you’re also struggling? Everyone deserves accurate information about COVID-19. Support journalism without a paywall — and keep it free for everyone — by becoming a HuffPost member today. Download Calling all HuffPost superfans! Sign up for membership to become a founding member and help shape HuffPost’s next chapter Join HuffPost
