One of West Virginia’s two U.S. senators is going into isolation for two weeks because of exposure to a person with COVID-19, the lawmaker said in a statement Tuesday.
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), who appeared on the Senate floor in Washington on Monday, said she “learned recently that [she] came into contact with an individual who tested positive for coronavirus.”
Capito said she had been tested herself.
“While the test result has not come back yet, I will be following CDC recommendations and the advice of the Capitol Attending Physician and will be quarantining for 14 days as a precaution. I will make the test result public when it is available,” she added.
Because of the isolation, Capito will not be able to participate in voting. There is no proxy voting in the Senate.
Two of the 100 U.S. senators have so far tested positive for COVID-19.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) tested positive in March while Bill Cassidy (R-La.) tested positive last month.
A number of representatives have tested positive throughout the pandemic.
COVID-19 is a disease that primarily spreads through close contact with infected people.
The vast majority of patients recover with symptom treatment or hospital care. Many patients see zero or no symptoms.
