Rep. Paul Gosar revealed that he has not yet been tested for coronavirus despite deciding to self-quarantine after being exposed to someone with the virus.
The Arizona Republican announced on Sunday night that he and three senior members of his staff have voluntarily quarantined themselves for 14 days after spending “an extended period of time” with the Conservative Political Action Conference attendee who tested positive for COVID-19. The congressman was asked during a Monday interview on Fox News’s Bill Hemmer Reports how he has been doing since.
“We had spent a considerable amount of time with the person in contact — in the center of the controversy,” Gosar explained. “None of us are feeling bad. We are feeling really good. So yesterday was the ninth day, today is the 10th day. And even though it’s probably less than a 5% chance that we have it, next week is constituent work week … so we decided to go with the 14 days.”
He also said that he had not yet been tested for the virus. Gosar’s inability to get tested underscores a key issue in combating the outbreak: the lack of available testing kits. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has tested only 1,583 Americans for the coronavirus so far even though the agency had weeks to make the tests readily available. Despite the shortage, the president claimed Friday that “anybody that needs a test gets a test.”
In addition to Gosar, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, and Rep. Doug Collins of Georgia have also decided to self-quarantine themselves after being exposed to the same individual at CPAC. Democratic Rep. Julia Brownley of California also announced she is closing her Capitol Hill office for the week and is working remotely after learning someone she met with in Washington last week tested positive for the coronavirus.
