US Representative Doug Collins said on Monday (local time) he was self-quarantining after coming in contact with a person who tested positive for coronavirus at a conference in Maryland last month.
"This afternoon, I was notified by CPAC that they discovered a photo of myself and the patient who has tested positive for #COVID19," Collins, a Georgia Republican, said on Twitter, referring to the Conservative Political Action Conference.
"While I am not experiencing any symptoms, I have decided to self-quarantine out of an abundance of caution," he said.
CNN reports that Collins and US President Donald Trump shook hands when he visited Georgia on Friday.
Collins is reportedly one of five congressmen self-quarantining after attending CPAC. The others, according to local media, are North Carolina's Mark Meadows, congressman Matt Gaetz, Texas' Ted Cruz, and Arizona's Paul Gosar.
"Rep Meadows was advised this weekend that he may have come in contact with the CPAC attendee who tested positive for COVID-19, now 12 days ago," said Meadows' chief of staff Ben Williamson.
"Out of an abundance of caution, Meadows received testing which came back negative," said a statement from Williamson, as reported by CNN.
The US government, which employs about 2.1 million people, is seeking to slow the spread of the coronavirus, which has infected 111,000 people in 105 countries, by restricting some travel and planning to expand telework.
From next week, congress will be on recess.
"If the incidents of infection gets close to home, as it did with the CPAC conference, then we’ve got to take it seriously," Illinois Senator Dick Durban said.
Reuters / Newshub.
