A top Republican senator tested positive for COVID-19, the latest member of the party to receive the diagnosis.
Senate Homeland Security Chairman Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) was exposed to someone who tested positive on Sept. 14, his spokesman Ben Voelkel said in a statement on Saturday.
Johnson quarantined for two weeks, per federal health protocol, and tested negative twice.
He returned to Washington on Sept. 29 and shortly after was exposed to another person who has since tested positive.
“After learning of this exposure, the senator was tested yesterday afternoon,” Voelkel said. “This test came back positive.”
Johnson “feels healthy and is not experiencing symptoms,” his spokesman said, adding that the senator will remain in isolation until cleared by his doctor.
Most staff members working from the senator’s Washington office had already been working remotely.
The office is shifting fully to remote work for the immediate future.
Republican President Donald Trump tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, as did First Lady Melania Trump and White House aide Hope Hicks.
Sens. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) have tested positive and are isolating.
It primarily affects the elderly and people with compromised immune systems.
The CCP virus is believed to spread when infected people release droplets by coughing, sneezing, or speaking. Those droplets can land in another person’s mouth, nose, or eyes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Preventative techniques include wearing masks, washing hands, and avoiding crowds.
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