AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana
House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Rep. Doug Collins, R-GA.
- Four Republican members of Congress - Senator Ted Cruz, Congressman Doug Collins, Matt Gaetz and Congressman Paul Gosar - have self-guaranteed after they came into contact with a person who had the coronavirus at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).
- CPAC notified attendees on Saturday that a person who attended had later tested positive for the virus in New Jersey and was receiving care.
- Rep. Collins joined President Donald Trump and Vice President Pence for a tour of the Centers for Disease Control facility in Atlanta, Georgia on Friday.
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At least four members of Congress have decided to enter a precautionary self-quarantine after coming into contact with a coronavirus patient at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Maryland last month.
CPAC alerted attendees on Saturday that one of its employees had tested positive for coronavirus after the event. The annual gathering of conservatives attracted thousands of people, including some members of Congress, "several" of whom came into contact with the patient, the Associated Press reported.
On Monday, Georgia Congressman Doug Collins announced he would self-quarantine "out of an abundance of caution" after CPAC notified him he was at the conference with the patient who tested positive for the coronavirus.
His announcement came after he joined President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence for a tour and coronavirus press conference last week at the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, Georgia.
Collins spoke at CPAC on Thursday, February 27 on a panel called "The Coup: Rosenstein & Comey- The Empire Strikes Back."
Collins said, "I feel completely healthy and I am not experiencing any symptoms."
Another House Republican, Matt Gaetz of Florida, announced that he had been tested for the coronavirus after learning that he also came into contact with the infected individual at CPAC.
He learned that he may have been exposed to the virus while traveling from Florida with President Trump on Air Force One on Monday, the New York Times reported. Gaetz then sat alone in a separate section of the plane was escorted to a waiting car upon landing at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.
Gaetz received a test and was awaiting results while he self-quarantined. He has also closed his Washington, D.C. office.
Previously, Republican Senator Ted Cruz announced he would self-quarantine at home in Texas, as did Republican Congressman Paul Gosar, who stayed at home in Arizona to wait out the 14-day incubation period for COVID-19.
Asked Monday if the Capitol should close temporarily due to the threat of coronavirus, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said, "At this time there is no reason to do so."
Gosar announced on Sunday that he had self-quarantined at his home in Arizona until the two-week incubation period for the coronavirus ended. Three other staffers who had come into contact with the infected CPAC attendee had also self quarantined, but none were exhibiting symptoms, communications director Ben Goldy told Insider. Meanwhile, the D.C. office had closed until next week.
Goldy, along with his other colleagues, worked from home on Monday and communicated primarily through text, emails, and conference calls. While constituent meetings in Washington had been suspended, the office's other functions continued.
"We're surprisingly more prepared than you would expect...we're managing pretty well," Goldy told Insider, noting that Gosar was introducing a bill today, and could do so electronically. "Years ago you wouldn't have been able to do this."
While in quarantine, Gosar had "stocked up on breakfast food and Lysol wipes and things" and was in a "great mood", according Goldy.
But the congressman apparently also had "life and mortality" on his mind, tweeting (possibly in jest) on Monday that he would "rather die gloriously in battle than from a virus." An image from the 2018 South Korean historical action film "The Great Battle" accompanied the tweet.
"In a way it doesn't matter," Gosar wrote. "But it kinda does."
Goldy assured Insider that Gosar "is taking the entire process very seriously."
This afternoon, I was notified by CPAC that they discovered a photo of myself and the patient who has tested positive for #COVID19.
While I am not experiencing any symptoms, I have decided to self-quarantine out of an abundance of caution.
Full statement → pic.twitter.com/74oeaYOBYR
- Rep. Doug Collins (@RepDougCollins) March 9, 2020While the Congressman is not experiencing symptoms, he received testing today and expects results soon.
Under doctor's usual precautionary recommendations, he'll remain self-quarantined until the 14-day period expires this week.
- Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) March 9, 2020Been thinking about life and mortality today. I'd rather die gloriously in battle than from a virus. In a way it doesn't matter. But it kinda does. pic.twitter.com/m6vU5RTQHJ
- Paul Gosar (@DrPaulGosar) March 9, 2020