South Carolina Democratic Rep. Joe Cunningham on Thursday announced that he will self-quarantine after coming in contact with another member of Congress who has since tested positive for coronavirus.
“This morning, I received word that I had been in contact with a member of Congress who has since tested positive for #COVID19. After consulting with the Attending Physician of the US Congress – and out of an abundance of caution – I will be self-quarantining until March 27th,” Cunningham said in a statement.
“I am not experiencing any symptoms and remain in good health. I will be working from home as Congress continues its response to this public health crisis and will continue our urgent work of serving the people of the Lowcountry. We are all in this together,” he continued. (RELATED: Here Are All The Members Of Congress Who Have Self-Quarantined Due To Coronavirus)
Rep. Joe Cunningham (D-SC) addresses the crowd at the 2019 South Carolina Democratic Party State Convention on June 22, 2019 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Sean Rayford/Getty Images)
A number of members of Congress in both the House and the Senate have announced they are self-quarantining as coronavirus continues to spread throughout the U.S. Many Republican Congressmen decided to self-quarantine after meeting the individual who attended the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) while infected with coronavirus.
Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz was the first to announce the self-quarantine, saying that he will be staying home in Texas for the week after he was informed that he met the individual who attended CPAC who is infected with coronavirus. (RELATED: Ted Cruz To Stay Home In Texas For One Week After Saying He Met Person With Coronavirus At CPAC)
Cruz made it clear in a statement that he has not had any symptoms since the interaction at the conference and that it was a quick conversation and a handshake, but he said in order to be safe he will be staying home instead of returning back to Washington D.C. Cruz also said he has spoken with health officials across the board.
A number of members of Congress have received tests for coronavirus. President Donald Trump received a test for the virus, which came back negative. Republican South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham on Sunday also announced that he tested negative for coronavirus.