Two US Lawmakers Self-Quarantine Over Contact with Virus

By Staff, Agencies

Two US lawmakers have entered self-quarantine after coming in contact with a man at a political conference in suburban Washington who later was diagnosed with COVID-19. 

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said Sunday he had brief contact with the man at the Conservative Political Action Conference nearly two weeks ago and would spend the next few days at his home in Texas until a full 14 days had passed since their interaction.

Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., said he had made contact with the man at CPAC and that he and three members of his senior staff were under self-quarantine. His office will be closed for the week, Gosar said in a tweet Sunday.

Besides Cruz and Gosar, the CPAC schedule listed three other senators and 12 House members who were scheduled to speak.

They included No. 2 House GOP leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana, No. 3 Republican leader Liz Cheney of Wyoming and congressman Mark Meadows of North Carolina, who has since become the White House chief of staff.

Also on the schedule was Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, the wife of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Cheney has been told by CPAC that she was not exposed to the convention attendee who has tested positive for the coronavirus, a Cheney spokesman said.

Both President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence spoke at CPAC, but the White House said there was no indication that either had met or were in "close proximity" to the infected attendee.

Cruz said he met the man being treated for coronavirus 10 days ago at the conference in Oxon Hill, Maryland.

The Texas Republican said he's not experiencing any symptoms, feels fine and has been advised by medical authorities that the odds of transmission were extremely low.

Yet, Cruz said, out of an abundance of caution he will remain at home in Texas for another few days until a full 14 days have passed since the interaction. He said medical authorities advised him that those who have interacted with him in the last 10 days should not be concerned about potential transmission.

David Popp, a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, said Sunday evening that no changes had been made in the chamber's schedule in the wake of Cruz's decision to remain in Texas.

McConnell had spoken with Cruz, Popp said.

The number of confirmed US cases has reached nearly 550 on Sunday, including 22 deaths, according to state public health authorities and a running national tally kept by the Johns Hopkins University center tracking the outbreak.