Sen. Warner to Quarantine After Close Contact to CCP Virus Case

Democratic Sen. from Virginia Mark Warner (R) and Republican Sen. Richard Burr from North Carolina (L) attend the 59th Presidential Inauguration at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 20, 2021. Saul Loeb - Pool/Getty Images

Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) will self-quarantine after being exposed to a person who tested positive for the CCP virus, according to Warner’s spokesperson.

“Senator Warner learned today that a close contact has tested positive for COVID-19. While Senator Warner has tested negative, out of an abundance of caution and in accordance with guidance provided by the Office of the Attending Physician, he will be working remotely during his quarantine period,” the spokesperson, Rachel Cohen, said in a statement, according to The Hill.

Warner, the vice-chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, is one of many lawmakers who have had to quarantine due to exposure to the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus. Dozens of other lawmakers have tested positive for the virus.

Representative-elect Luke Letlow, 41, passed away in December 2020 from a heart attack likely caused by COVID-19, the disease caused by the CCP virus. His wife, Julia Letlow, is now running for his seat in a special election.

More than 423,000 people succumbed to the CCP virus in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 25 million cases have been recorded since the outbreak spread to the United States from Wuhan, China, last year. More than 24 million people have taken one of the two FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccines developed in record time under the administration of President Donald Trump.

President Joe Biden took early action to ban travel from South Africa, where a virus mutation that is believed to be more dangerous, has been detected. The president has also added a requirement for international travelers to provide proof of a negative CCP virus test before boarding flights bound for the United States.

Rep. Lou Correa (D-Calif.) was one of several lawmakers who tested positive for the virus after the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.

Correa, 62, tested positive on Jan. 15, a month after he received Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine. He didn’t shelter in place with colleagues on Jan. 6 when protesters stormed the U.S. Capitol; his office said he stayed outside to help the U.S. Capitol Police.