WASHINGTON 鈥� The Capitol's attending physician said Monday that 鈥渟everal鈥� members of Congress had contact with a person who attended a recent political conference and who subsequently developed COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus. They 鈥渞emain in good health,鈥� the physician's office said.
In a note to lawmakers, the attending physician's office said the ill individual had recalled 鈥渟pecific names of people he had contact with during the meeting.鈥�
鈥淪everal of these individuals, Members of the Congress, were identified and were contacted on the evening of March 7鈥� by the physician's office, the note said.
Their symptoms were reviewed, and the individuals were considered to be at 鈥渓ow risk鈥� of contracting the disease, the statement said. It said all the lawmakers the physician's office was monitoring 鈥渞emain in good health.鈥�
On Sunday, two members of Congress, Sen. Ted Cruz and Rep. Paul Gosar, said they are isolating themselves after determining they had contact with the person at the conference.
Cruz, R-Texas, said Sunday he had brief contact with the man at the Conservative Political Action Conference nearly two weeks ago and would spend the next few days at his home in Texas until a full 14 days had passed since their interaction.
Gosar, R-Ariz., said that he had made contact with the man at CPAC and that he and three members of his senior staff were under self-quarantine. His office will be closed for the week, he said in a tweet Sunday.
President Donald Trump also attended the CPAC meeting.
Besides Cruz and Gosar, the CPAC schedule listed three other senators and 12 House members who were scheduled to speak. They included No. 2 House GOP leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana, No. 3 Republican leader Liz Cheney of Wyoming and congressman Mark Meadows of North Carolina, who has since become the White House chief of staff.?? Also on the schedule was Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, the wife of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
Cheney has been told by CPAC that she was not exposed to the convention attendee who has tested positive for the coronavirus, a Cheney spokesman said.
Both President Donald Trump and
Cruz said he met the man being treated for coronavirus 10 days ago at the conference in Oxon Hill, Maryland. The Texas Republican said he鈥檚 not experiencing any symptoms, feels fine and has been advised by medical authorities that the odds of transmission were extremely low.
Yet, Cruz said, out of an abundance of caution he will remain at home. He said medical authorities advised him that those who have interacted with him in the last 10 days should not be concerned about potential transmission.
David Popp, spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky?., said Sunday evening that no changes had been made in the chamber鈥檚 schedule in the wake of Cruz鈥檚 decision to remain in Texas. McConnell had spoken with Cruz, Popp said.
The Senate has a vote scheduled Monday evening and plans to be in session this week considering energy and possibly other legislation. The Senate and the House are set for a one-week recess the week of March 16.
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Associated Press writers Randall Chase in Dover, Del., and Robert Burns in Washington contributed to this report.
Douglass K. Daniel And Alan Fram, The Associated Press
