Sen. Bill Cassidy announced Thursday that he had tested positive for COVID-19.
“I am strictly following the direction of our medical experts and strongly encourage others to do the same,” said the Louisiana Republican.
Cassidy’s office said that he was following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, which say to inform other people with whom he’s had contact and to quarantine for two weeks.
The senator was tested Thursday after he had been notified the previous evening that he had come into contact with an individual with the coronavirus.
Cassidy is running for reelection in Louisiana. He was first elected to the Senate in 2014, defeating incumbent Democrat Mary Landrieu. He previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2009 to 2015.
Sen. Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican, was the first member of the Senate to test positive for the virus in late March. Democratic Sens. Tim Kaine of Virginia and Bob Casey of Pennsylvania have also tested positive. However, they both were tested months after experiencing COVID-19 symptoms.
