U.S. Senator Rand Paul confirmed Sunday that he has tested positive for COVID-19 – the first senator to do so.
The senator said that he was asymptomatic and had not been in contact with any known carriers of the novel coronavirus but was tested out of an “abundance of caution due to his extensive travel and events.”
Senator Mitt Romney announced he was advised to go into self-quarantine after sitting next to Paul for extended periods in recent days, and that while he has no symptoms, he would be tested.
Senator Mike Lee said he, too, was told he should self-quarantine based on his proximity to Paul, but that he would not be tested.
Two lawmakers in the House of Representatives, Representatives Mario Diaz-Balert and Ben McAdams, were the first members of Congress to test positive for the coronavirus.
As many Americans across the United States struggle to get tested for COVID-19, many critics have taken to social media questioning how and why Paul was able to be tested if he was asymptomatic and had no known contact with a carrier.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has said that testing abilities in the United States are expected to increase.
