Congress is getting slammed by COVID-19 like the rest of the country, with positivity rates soaring and a growing roster of members reporting infections.
The U.S. Capitol’s physician, Dr. Brian Monahan, said the complex is seeing an “unprecedented” number of cases and a 13% positivity rate at its testing center in recent weeks, up from 1% before the omicron wave.
Dr. Monahan told members and staff to maximize telework and adhere to strict mask-wearing, preferably with N-95 face coverings instead of cloth ones.
The D.C. area is considered a U.S. hot spot for the virus, with some of the highest rates of cases and hospitalization as a share of the population. The Senate is scheduled to return for votes Tuesday, while the House will return from its holiday break next week.
Sen. Rob Portman, Ohio Republican, said Tuesday he took an at-home test before returning to Washington and it was positive. He is asymptomatic and will isolate himself at home for five days, meaning he must work remotely but cannot be in the chamber for votes.
Rep. Ayanna Pressley, Massachusetts Democrat, reported a positive test Friday, making her the most recent House member to report testing positive.
More than a dozen members of Congress have tested positive since the week before Christmas, a spurt that began with Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Cory Booker of New Jersey on Dec. 19. Many of them are Democrats who were fully vaccinated but credit the shots for keeping their symptoms mild.
All told, just over 100 lawmakers in the 535-seat body, combining the House and the Senate, have been diagnosed with COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, according to the GovTrack website.
Rep. Ron Wright, Texas Republican, died of COVID-19 in February, and Rep.-elect Luke Letlow, Louisiana Republican. died of the disease one week before he was set to take office.
A staff member for Rep. Vern Buchanan, Gary Tibbetts, also died of COVID-19.
For more information, visit The Washington Times COVID-19 resource page.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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