Two US House Members Test Positive for Coronavirus

By Staff, Agencies

Two US House of Representatives members announced that they had tested positive for COVID-19 coronavirus, Reuters reported Thursday.

Unveiling the results of his tests, Mario Diaz-Balart, a Republican representing Florida's 25th Congressional District, said he was feeling better and urged Americans to follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] guidelines.

For his part, Ben McAdams, a Democrat from Utah's 4th Congressional District, also announced he had tested positive after first going down with what looked like a mild cold and then deteriorated into a fever.

This week, the US House is in a recess, and it is not immediately clear whether the announcements would have any effect on its proceedings.

Previously, a number of representatives and senators announced that they were entering self-quarantine due to the spread of the deadly coronavirus.

According to the latest available figures, as of March 18, 9,240 coronavirus infections have been confirmed in the United States, and the death toll stands at around 150.

With infections confirmed in all states, the Trump administration rolled out drastic new measures on containing the disease, shuttering the border with Canada and bringing in Army's floating hospitals to help the areas worst affected by the virus.