The Republican senator from Utah announced midday Friday that he has also tested positive after developing symptoms he thought were “consistent with longtime allergies,” he said in a statement. However, Lee took a test anyway on Thursday “out of an abundance of caution,” which came back positive.
Lee said he tested negative prior to visiting the White House earlier this week, and that he will undergo a 10-day isolation.
Lee was among the senators who met in person with Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett in recent days, including posing for a photo next to one another. (The White House said Friday Barrett’s most recent test was negative.)
The senator was also in attendance at Barrett's nomination announcement from the White House lawn, where he was shown in close proximity to and hugging other attendees.
Trump’s diagnosis reverberated at the Capitol, given the loose approach many lawmakers and White House officials had taken during frequent meetings and interactions with one another during the pandemic.
Lee is the at least the 17th member of Congress to test positive for Covid-19, and dozens more have self-quarantined as a precautionary measure at various points after possible exposure.
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