Rep. Price to self-quarantine after contact with lawmaker who has coronavirus
U.S. Rep. David Price, a Chapel Hill Democrat, announced Thursday morning that he would self-quarantine after coming into contact with a member of Congress who has tested positive.
Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart tested positive for coronavirus, the Miami Republican announced Wednesday. Price is the chairman and Diaz-Balart is the ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee’s subcommittee on housing and transportation. The pair hosted public hearings on March 4 and March 11.
“After consulting with the Attending Physician, I determined that my contacts did not fall within guidelines that require quarantine. However, as a precautionary measure, I will be self-quarantining and working from home through March 25th,” said Price, who is 79, in a statement.
“Certain members of my staff will follow the same guidelines. Fortunately, neither I, nor staff members in contact with the member, have experienced any symptoms. I want to extend my best wishes to Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart and Rep. Ben McAdams and my hope for their speedy recovery.”
“The health and well-being of every American has to be our top priority. At home, I’ll continue working remotely with my colleagues to propose a robust package that will help families and small businesses through this difficult time. I encourage all Americans to continue heeding the recommendations of public health officials and remain at home if possible. These necessary steps will help blunt spread of this virus.”
Diaz-Balart was the first member of Congress to announce publicly that he had tested positive for the virus. McAdams, a Democrat from Utah, also announced that he had tested positive on Wednesday.
North Carolina has confirmed more than 95 cases of coronavirus, a number that has risen sharply in the last week.
On March 12, Price announced that his Washington, D.C. office was closing the week of March 16 and that staff would work from home. He also closed his offices in Raleigh and Chapel Hill would be open for staff only.
The U.S. House of Representatives last met in the early hours of Saturday, March 14. The chamber was scheduled to return to work on March 23.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, of Maryland, announced Thursday morning that the “House will not return to session until we are in a position to vote on the third piece of emergency legislation to respond to the economic impact of this crisis.”
The Senate, which is in session, is working on a package that could include checks to Americans and support for industries such as airlines and hotels.
This story was originally published March 19, 2020 at 10:52 AM with the headline "Rep. Price to self-quarantine after contact with lawmaker who has coronavirus."
