华盛顿州 US Rep. Joe Wilson announced Wednesday evening that he has tested positive for 新冠肺炎 and will go into isolation through the holidays.
The South Carolina Republican, who spoke on the House floor earlier in the day, 在声明中说: “Earlier this evening I learned that I have tested positive for COVID-19. I will be taking all necessary precautions, as directed by the House Physician.”
“Thankfully I feel fine and do not have any symptoms. It is so important that we all do our part to help prevent the spread of this virus.”
威尔逊, 73, 加入 a considerable number of lawmakers from both parties and chambers of Congress who have announced they’ve tested positive for Covid-19 in recent weeks.
代表. Rick Allen, a Georgia Republican, 和代表. Susie Lee, a Nevada Democrat, announced separately last month that they had contracted the virus.
Their announcements came just days after two other lawmakers — 代表. Bryan Steil, a Republican from Wisconsin, and Joe Courtney, a Democrat from Connecticut — said they had been diagnosed with Covid.
在所有, 至少 11 senators and 36 members of the House have tested positive for the coronavirus or for its antibodies since the start of the pandemic.
The rise in cases on Capitol Hill comes as the pandemic continues to reach new heights across the country, with the US averaging about 212,000 new cases every day, according to the Covid Tracking Project.
And the numbers could grow even higher if Americans opt to travel and gather unsafely for the holidays. Experts have warned for weeks against traditional celebrations to avoid further spread of the virus, which could in turn lead to another surge of Covid-19 cases.
The unsettling presence of the virus in Congress underscores the unique challenges facing lawmakers as they grapple with negotiating stimulus relief for Americans while taking steps to avoid spreading the virus themselves.
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