Corona Virus Outbreak As Washington Report: Two US Congressmen with recent close contacts with President Trump announced on Monday that they had decided to self-quarantine after being exposed to the new corona virus at a late-February conservative conference.
Republican Representative Doug Collins, who met and shook hands with Trump last Friday at the headquarters of the Centers for Disease Control, asserted that he was just notified he had been in contact with a person infected with the new corona virus at a conservative summit last month.
Also, Matt Gaetz, who traveled with Trump on Air Force One on Monday, announced his self-quarantine after being notified that he too had come in close contact with the infected person at the CPAC conference 11 days ago.
Neither Collins nor Gaetz reported any symptoms of the virus.
“While I am not experiencing any symptoms, I
have decided to self-quarantine out of an abundance of caution,” Collins said.
“While the
Congressman is not experiencing symptoms, he received testing today and expects
results soon,” Gaetz’s office said on his Twitter account.
Collins
was seen with Trump last Friday visiting the Atlanta, Georgia CDC headquarters
where they were briefed on the virus’s spread.
A
photograph published by the Atlanta Constitution-Journal shows the two shaking
hands at what appears to be an airport during the visit.
According to
the newspaper, Collins was also in close contact with the state’s governor,
Brian Kemp, and Georgia Senator, Kelly Loeffler - who Collins is challenging
for election in November.
There was
no immediate comment from the White House.
Earlier
Trump downplayed the threat of the disease, which has recorded more than 600
cases of the COVID-19 virus, and 25 deaths.
“So last
year 37,000 Americans died from the common Flu. It averages between 27,000 and
70,000 per year. Nothing is shut down, life & the economy go on. At this
moment there are 546 confirmed cases of Corona Virus, with 22 deaths. Think
about that!” Trump tweeted.
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