The coronavirus quarantines have reached the U.S. Senate.
Sen. Ted Cruz, Texas Republican, tweeted Sunday evening that he is undergoing a voluntary self-quarantine because of contact with an infected person at a Washington-area conservative event.
Today I released the following statement: pic.twitter.com/XGXEa4ozcg
— Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) March 8, 2020
According to a statement Mr. Cruz posted on Twitter, when the Texan was at the Conservative Political Action Conference last week, he had “a brief conversation and a handshake” with a person from New Jersey who has since tested positive for the coronavirus.
Mr. Cruz said their interaction was sufficiently brief and long ago — “10 days ago [while] the average incubation period is 5-6 days” — that, because he himself is feeling no symptoms, the odds of transmission are “extremely low.”
As a result, Mr. Cruz does not meet the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s standards for a required quarantine.
“Nevertheless, out of an abundance of caution, and because of how frequently I interact with my constituents as a part of my job, and to give everyone peace of mind, I have decided to remain at my home in Texas this week, until a full 14 days have passed since the CPAC interaction,” his statement read.
• Victor Morton can be reached at vmorton@washingtontimes.com.
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