First Positive COVID-19 Cases in US Congress... Two Republican House Members Infected

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] Two members of the U.S. House of Representatives tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), leading all other lawmakers who had contact with them to enter self-quarantine, according to reports by the Washington Post (WP) and others on the 18th (local time). This is the first time a member of the U.S. Congress has tested positive for COVID-19.

According to the reports, Cuban-American Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart (58, Republican, Florida) and Congressman Ben McAdams (45, Democrat, Utah) stated in a joint release that symptoms began to appear on the evening of the 14th, less than 24 hours after standing among people in the House to vote on the COVID-19 relief package.

In his statement, Congressman Diaz-Balart said he began feeling ill in the early hours of the 14th, when the House was in recess, and immediately got tested. He noted that after voting in the House on the 13th, he has been self-quarantining in Washington D.C. and has not returned to his home in southern Florida. He emphasized, "I wanted to show everyone that I am improving, but I believe it is very important that everyone takes this seriously and follows the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). We will continue to work together to become stronger in these difficult times."

Congressman McAdams returned to his Utah district on the 14th after the House vote on the 13th and began showing mild symptoms that same night before recently testing positive. He was also self-quarantining under his doctor's advice. He said, "My condition has gradually worsened, experiencing fever, dry cough, and difficulty breathing. On Tuesday (the 17th), my doctor advised me to get tested for COVID-19, so I was tested at a local medical facility and learned today that I tested positive."

With two members of Congress testing positive for COVID-19, lawmakers who may have recently been in contact with them are implementing self-quarantine measures. Representatives Steve Scalise (Republican, Louisiana) and Drew Ferguson (Republican, Georgia) said they had contact with one of the positive members and have taken self-quarantine measures.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.