Coronavirus pandemic: Jacksonville City Councilman Sam Newby recovering from COVID-19

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville City Councilman Sam Newby is out of the hospital and doing much better after being diagnosed with COVID-19.

Action News Jax anchor Tenikka Hughes spoke with him by phone from the Action News Jax control room.

“I just want to tell you I’m feeling really well,” Newby said.

Newby, who has high blood pressure, said he first started feeling sick around March 4. For days, he had diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain and constipation. He made several trips to the doctor trying to get answers.

“Then on Friday, I went to my doctor who suggested for me to go to ER. I went back to ER. They did all kinds of tests. Then they tested me Friday, and on Sunday, I found out I had the coronavirus.” Newby said. “I never thought one time, even when they tested me, that I had it until they told me I had it.”

Newby is not sure how he contracted it.

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“From March 3 until now, I have been home with no contact from anybody, so I don’t even know how I could have even caught it,” he said.

Now, as medical experts and lawmakers around the world work to stop the spread, Newby wants you to do your part.

“They need to take this seriously and need to practice social distancing because I’m an introvert, and I don’t be around a lot of people, and I got it.” Newby said. “I’m a very healthy man. I work out four days a week. I never thought in a million years that I would have caught this.”

Newby said his wife does not have the virus but she is self-isolating and being monitored by the Health Department. Newby’s 14-day quarantine is now underway.

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