“As your member of Congress, I wanted to inform you that, very unfortunately, I tested positive for COVID-19,” Meuser, 56, said in a statement to constituents.
The congressman plans on following all Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines, including quarantining until he tests negative.
Meuser’s grown children were not at home and his wife, Shelley, tested negative.
The test result meant Meuser was not in Washington Saturday voting for H.R. 8015, which would prevent the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) from implementing any changes until after the COVID-19 pandemic or Jan. 31, 2021, whichever is later. It would also give $25 billion to the service or its inspector general.
The Republican said he would have voted against the bill.
The USPS “should be provided the resources they need to perform at a high level of excellence,” the member of Congress wrote, but noted that Congress already provided a $10 billion loan to the service earlier this year through the CARES Act.
That money hasn’t been used yet.
“To date, the USPS has not yet seen the need to access this lending authority to fund its operations. In spite of COVID-19 related setbacks affecting all private and public sector operations, the Postmaster General has assured the American public that the USPS is fully capable of delivering the nation’s election mail on time and that any changes in operations at the agency have been suspended until after the election,” Meuser said. “Calls from Democrats to direct $25 billion to the USPS are not reflective of the data or the reality of the situation.”
Other members of Congress have tested positive for COVID-19, including Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) on Thursday and Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.) earlier in the month.
Reps. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.), Louie Gohmert (R-Texas), and Morgan Griffith (R-Va.) tested positive last month. They’ve all since exited quarantine.
The CCP virus is primarily transmitted through droplets released when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks, according to the CDC. The droplets can land in the mouth or nose of a person nearby.
Symptoms appear two to 14 days after exposure and include chills, fever, and loss of taste or smell.
A significant percentage of patients have no or few symptoms.
The vast majority of patients get better with rest and symptoms treatment. A small percentage require hospital care.
A portion of people who go to the hospital end up dying. The elderly and those with underlying health conditions, such as obesity or kidney disease, are the most at risk from COVID-19.
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