Pramila Jayapal, 2 Other Democrats Test Positive for COVID Following Capitol Hill Riots
By Bryan Ke
Three House Democratic members have tested positive for COVID-19, days after the violent U.S. Capitol siege.
What happened: Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ) was the first to announce she tested positive for the virus on Monday, according to BBC.
- In her tweet, Coleman said she decided to take a COVID-19 test following the riot on Jan. 6.
- A day after Coleman’s announcement, Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-W) confirmed she also tested positive for the virus. In her statement, she mentioned how her fellow House members, mainly Republicans, refused to wear masks while inside the building.
- “Too many Republicans have refused to take this pandemic and virus seriously, and in doing so, they endanger everyone around them,” Jayapal said in a statement via The Cut. “Only hours after President Trump incited a deadly assault on our Capitol, our country, and our democracy, many Republicans still refused to take the bare minimum COVID-19 precaution and simply wear a damn mask in a crowded room during a pandemic — creating a superspreader event on top of a domestic terrorist attack.”
- Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL.) admitted he does not know who he got the virus from, but what he is sure of is that his “exposure in that room was greater than any other time through this entire pandemic,” he told NBC Chicago.
- He was first tested last Saturday, where his result came back negative. He then took another test on Monday and it returned with a positive result the next day.
- Attending physician of congress, Brian Monahan, urged lawmakers over the weekend to have themselves tested for the virus.
- “The time in this room was several hours for some and briefer for others,” he said. “During this time, individuals may have been exposed to another occupant with coronavirus infection.”
- House Democrats proposed fining members who refuse to wear masks on Capitol grounds.
Massive riot: Thousands of pro-Trump supporters marched to Capitol Hill on Jan. 6 after attending the president’s rally at the Ellipse, near the White House.
- The rioters breached the barricade outside the U.S. Capitol and made their way inside the House and Senate chambers,
- Senate members took a break during the chaos. The U.S. Secret Service reportedly ushered Vice President Mike Pence to a secured location via the underground tunnels, VOA News reported.
- Five people died during the riot, including a Capitol police officer, according to NPR.
Other details: Many AAPI lawmakers condemned Trump and blamed him for inciting the riot on Jan. 6.
- Rep. Andy Kim (D-NJ) gave a helping hand to the ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) officers who cleaned up the trash after the attack.
- Queens, New York Representative Grace Meng shared some pictures she took on her while inside her barricaded room in the Capitol during the attack.
Feature Image via Getty
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