Watch the full interview with Rep. Katie Porter on “CNN Tonight” with Don Lemon at 10 p.m. ET on Thursday.
Washington US Rep. Katie Porter said Thursday evening that she is self-quarantining after being exposed to someone who tested positive for the coronavirus.
“I think it’s an experience that’s all too familiar for all too many Americans at this point. I was exposed to someone who has tested positive. I’m doing my very best to quarantine here at home,” the California Democrat told CNN’s Don Lemon on “CNN Tonight.”
Porter said she took a coronavirus test earlier Thursday but is going to “lock myself in my bedroom for the next couple days” until the test comes back.
“I think the important thing for people to understand is: It’s not just about wearing a mask. It’s not just about washing your hands. It’s most importantly about staying at home. And I was exposed in my workplace.”
Porter’s announcement comes the same day that the US hit a record 114,237 Covid-19 hospitalizations, according to the Covid Tracking Project. The spike in cases nationwide sees a parallel in Congress, with at least four senators and at least 19 members of the House of Representatives testing positive for coronavirus or for its antibodies since November 1.
Earlier Thursday, Republican Rep. Mike Rogers of Alabama wrote on Twitter that he had tested positive for Covid-19, and Rep. Cedric Richmond, a Louisiana Democrat who’s a member of President-elect Joe Biden’s incoming White House staff, also tested positive.
The announcements follow those of other prominent members who’ve disclosed their diagnoses over the past week, including Reps. Devin Nunes and Ken Calvert, both California Republicans, and GOP Rep. Joe Wilson of South Carolina.
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.
Porter added Thursday that the start of vaccinations across the country means it’s “all the more important” that people adhere to the best public health practices.
“We’re really at maximum capacity at our hospital, so be vigilant, everyone,” she said. “And we’re all going to have to do our best to try to protect each other.”
