A Washington state congresswoman tested positive for coronavirus after taking shelter with several lawmakers without a mask while a pro-Trump crowd besieged the Capitol last week.
Democratic MP Pramila Jayapal publicly released her diagnosis of COVID in a statement late on Monday and criticized Republican lawmakers for refusing to wear masks inside a protected room during blockade hours.
“Many Republicans have refused to take this pandemic and this virus seriously and in doing so endanger everyone around them,” wrote Jayapal.
“A few hours after President Trump incited a deadly attack on our Capitol, our country and our democracy, many Republicans still refused to take the minimal precautions of COVID-19 and simply wear a mask in a crowded room during a pandemic – creating an over-spread over a domestic terrorist attack. “
Jayapal is the second lawmaker known to test positive after the Capitol riots.
Earlier Monday, Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman of New Jersey announced her positive diagnosis.
Coleman also took shelter with unmasked lawmakers, although it was not immediately clear whether she and Jayapal were inside the same room.
On Sunday, Dr. Brian Monahan, head of Congressional Assistant Physician’s Office, warned lawmakers that they may have been exposed to the virus while seeking shelter.
Jayapal has been quarantined since the attack on the Capitol and said she plans to work while isolated.