Washington, Mar 19 (IANS): Mario Diaz-Balart, a ninth-term Florida Republican, said that he has tested positive for the coronavirus, becoming the first American Congressman to contract the virus.
In a statement on Wednesday, Diaz-Balart, 58, said he began to develop symptoms on March 14, just hours after he left the House floor for a vote on a coronavirus response bill, a Politico news report said.
More than 400 members of Congress also voted during the early-Saturday session.
"I want everyone to know that I am feeling much better," Diaz-Balart said in the statement.
"However, it is important that everyone take this extremely seriously and follow CDC guidelines in order to avoid getting sick and mitigate the spread of this virus. We must continue to work together to emerge stronger as a country during these trying times."
Also on Wednesday, Democrat Representative from Utah Ben McAdams announced that he has tested positive for the virus which has so far infected over 8,700 people in the US and killed more than 130 others.
McAdams, 45, also said his symptoms began mildly on the night of March 14, after he had returned to Utah. He immediately began self-quarantining on the advice of his doctor, said the Politico news report.
"My symptoms got worse and I developed a fever, a dry cough and labored breathing and I remained self-quarantined," McAdams said in a statement.
"On Tuesday, my doctor instructed me to get tested for COVID-19 and following his referral, I went to the local testing clinic for the test. Today I learned that I tested positive."
Meanwhile, Congress Representative Drew Ferguson said on Wednesday night that the House doctor had advised him to self-quarantine until March 27 because he "was in contact with a member of Congress on March 13th that has since tested positive for COVID-19".
House minority whip, Representative Steve Scalise, said on Wednesday that he, too, would self-quarantine because he had held an "extended meeting" with Diaz-Balart late last week.
Scalise is now the highest-ranking US lawmaker to self-quarantine.