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Rick Caruso, weighing a run for L.A. mayor, says he had a mild case of COVID-19

Rick Caruso in 2019
Rick Caruso, shown in 2019, has recovered from a mild case of COVID-19, his spokesman said. The billionaire developer is considering a run for mayor of Los Angeles.
(Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
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Real estate developer Rick Caruso, who is considering a run for mayor of Los Angeles, was infected with COVID-19 last month, his spokesman said.

Caruso, 63, contracted “what was fortunately a mild case” of the illness in mid-January, despite having received a COVID-19 vaccine and a booster, according to a statement this week from the spokesman, who declined to be named.

“Rick is grateful to have fully recovered, and throughout he has not missed a beat on his daily political and business Zoom calls,” the statement said.

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The billionaire developer of the Grove and Americana at Brand shopping centers faces a Feb. 12 deadline for entering the mayor’s race.

Rick Caruso has considered running for L.A. mayor before but has never jumped in. For this year’s race, he promises a “final decision shortly.”

Jan. 23, 2022

The Times asked about Caruso’s health after learning that he recently canceled a meeting, citing COVID-19. He declined to be interviewed about his illness or to respond to several emailed questions, including the date he tested positive, what treatment he received and how many people he had to notify about potential exposure to him.

“I don’t think we have anything to add here, except on the advice side, which is he believes everyone should be vaxxed and boosted,” the spokesman said.

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