“I’m feeling much better. However, it’s important that everyone take this seriously and follow @CDCgov guidelines,” Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida wrote on Twitter.
Coronavirus has finally reached Congress.
Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, a ninth-term Florida Republican, has tested positive for coronavirus, becoming the first U.S. lawmaker to contract the virus that’s spreading throughout the U.S.
Diaz-Balart revealed his diagnosis on evening Wednesday, but said he began to develop symptoms on Saturday, just hours after he left the House floor for a vote on a coronavirus response bill. More than 400 members of Congress also voted during the early-Saturday session. Diaz-Balart’s statement indicates he decided to “self-quarantine in Washington D.C.” after the vote. His statement doesn’t indicate why he believed he needed to self-quarantine before developing symptoms or whether he informed staff or other members of Congress that he might have exposed them to the illness.
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Though he’s the first member of Congress to develop coronavirus, the illness has struck among a small number of congressional aides. It’s sure to heighten already-acute fears on Capitol Hill that members themselves, particularly the high proportion of elderly lawmakers, are vulnerable when they meet in Washington.
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BREAKING: Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) has tested positive for coronavirus, becoming the first U.S. lawmaker to contract the virus that’s spreading throughout the U.S https://t.co/g6VA23fftW
— POLITICO (@politico) March 18, 2020
I believe Rep. Diaz-Balart is the first member of Congress to test positive for #COVID19. https://t.co/ndkeEPrmrx
— David Lim (@davidalim) March 18, 2020
There are so many reasons its such a problem for a member of congress to have COVID-19. They vote by sticking a card in a card slot. They are on the subway from the office buildings to the capitol. They are grabbing railings all over the complex. Shaking hands w members, aides.
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) March 18, 2020
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