Overnight, a second lawmaker said she had tested positive for Covid-19 after taking shelter with lawmakers who refused to wear masks during the violent riots at the US Capitol last week.
Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, a Democrat from Washington State, said in a statement on Tuesday that she had been quarantined since the attack and learned of her positive result Monday night.
“Many Republicans have refused to take this pandemic and virus seriously and, in doing so, endanger everyone around them,” she said in a statement. “Just hours after President Trump incited a deadly attack on our Capitol Hill , to our country and In our democracy, many Republicans still refused to take the minimal precautions of COVID-19 and simply wear a damn mask in a crowded room during a pandemic – creating a super-propagating event over a domestic terrorist attack. . “
Jayapal said he was working from home.
“I will continue to work to the best of my ability because the profound urgency of our many crises is fundamental,” she said in her statement. “I share the indignation and anger of my constituents and everyone in this country who saw Donald Trump fail to fight this violent pandemic and refuse to care for the suffering, dying and devastated Americans. Now, we have also seen him openly fuel and incite these rebels who attacked the Capitol and our democracy on January 6 – so I will not rest until I do everything in my power to remove this president from office. “
On Monday morning, Mrs Bonnie Watson Coleman, DN.J., said she had received a positive Covid-19 rapid test.
“I received a positive test result for COVID-19 and I’m at home resting right now. Although I have mild cold symptoms, I am still in a good mood and will continue to work on behalf of my constituents, “said Watson Coleman in a statement.
The deputy is isolating herself and awaiting the result of a PCR test, known to be more accurate than the rapid tests.
The news of the legislators’ tests comes a day after the Capitol doctor warned members and officials of Congress that they could have been exposed to someone infected with the virus when they were housed there. A video that circulated last week showed a House Democrat in a safe room offering masks to a group of his Republican colleagues, who were seen refusing them.
In July, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced a mask mandate for all members and staff of the House.
Jayapal said lawmakers who refuse to wear masks on the Capitol should be fined.
“In addition, any member who refuses to wear a mask must be immediately removed from the floor by the Sergeant at Arms,” she said. “This is not a joke. Our lives and livelihoods are at risk, and anyone who refuses to wear a mask should be fully responsible for putting our lives in danger because of their selfish idiocy.”
