WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Representative Andriano Espaillat on Thursday said he had tested positive for COVID-19, becoming the fourth member of Congress to announce they had contracted the coronavirus following a mob attack on the U.S. Capitol last week.
“I am following guidance from my physician and quarantining at home after having tested positive for COVID-19,” he wrote on Twitter.
Espaillat is the latest lawmaker to test positive for the coronavirus in what has become a partisan issue, with Democrats blaming Republicans for not wearing masks while sheltering in secure areas on Jan. 6, as violent supporters of Republican President Donald Trump stormed the building.
But only Democrats have reported testing positive as a result of the emergency so far.
The 66-year-old New York City Democrat said he received a second dose of coronavirus vaccine last week but noted that vaccinations take time to become effective.
“I have continued to be tested regularly, wear my mask and follow the recommended guidelines,” Espaillat wrote on Twitter. “I will continue my duties representing New York’s 13th congressional district remotely until I have received clearance from my doctor.”
(Reporting by Susan Heavey and David Morgan; editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Jonathan Oatis)
