Rep. Ben McAdams (D-Utah) tweeted Wednesday night that he has tested positive for the novel coronavirus — hours after Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) announced his results came back positive.
Why it matters: Diaz-Balart and McAdams are the first members of Congress to announce that they have tested positive for the virus, which has infected more than 9,400 people in the U.S. as of early Thursday.
Please read my statement on contracting #COVID19. I have self-quarantined since first having symptoms and consulted with my doctor. #utpol pic.twitter.com/upx4NcTvF8
— Rep. Ben McAdams (@RepBenMcAdams) March 19, 2020
The big picture: Several Congress members said this month they had placed themselves in isolation for 14 days after coming into contact with someone at CPAC 2020 who tested positive for the virus.
- Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Reps. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.) andRep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) said they were doing so as a precaution and despite showing no symptoms.
- Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) said in a statement on Tuesday last week that he would self-quarantine following "a positive test for COVID-19 by a friend in Washington, D.C., with whom he recently interacted" despite showing no symptoms.
- Last Wednesday, it was confirmed that a Washington, D.C., staffer of Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) had tested positive for COVID-19.
I'm feeling much better. However, it's important that everyone take this seriously and follow @CDCgov guidelines in order to avoid getting sick & mitigate the spread of this virus. We must continue to work together to emerge stronger as a country during these trying times. pic.twitter.com/g5W5vSQIyH
— Mario Diaz-Balart (@MarioDB) March 18, 2020
Go deeper: Lawmakers self-quarantine after contact with confirmed coronavirus cases
Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.
