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Republican Senator David Perdue of Georgia will be quarantined after being exposed to someone infected with Covid-19, taking him out of the campaign just days before a fiercely contested runoff to keep his seat.
The senator was notified on Thursday that he had “close contact with someone in the campaign whose test was positive for Covid-19,” according to a statement released by his campaign.
“Both Senator Perdue and his wife were negative today, but following their doctor’s recommendations and according to CDC guidelines, they will be quarantined,” the statement said.
David Perdue
(@Perduesenate)Our campaign statement: pic.twitter.com/3U3TJ9Va9l
The campaign did not specify how long the senator planned to be quarantined. Donald Trump is due to hold a demonstration in support of Republican candidates in Georgia on Monday, the eve of the second round that will determine Senate control.
Perdue is being challenged by Jon Ossoff while Senator Kelly Loeffler, who was nominated for her seat last December, faces Raphael Warnock. Neither Perdue nor Loeffler exceeded the 50% threshold required to win their seats, prompting the runoff on January 5.
If Perdue and Loeffler lose their disputes, the Senate Chamber will be divided equally between the parties, with Kamala Harris serving as a tiebreaker when he takes on his role as vice president. Research suggests that disputes are fierce and that the fate of candidates is likely to be intertwined.
The two elections attracted a wave of national attention after Joe Biden became the first Democratic presidential candidate since 1992 to win the state. In a sign of this enthusiasm, more than 2.8 million voters in Georgia have already voted – a record of participation in a second round.
Harris will visit Georgia to campaign for Democrats on Sunday, while Biden will host an event on Monday.