WASHINGTON (AP) – House lawmakers may have been exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID-19 while they were protected in an undisclosed location during the siege of the Capitol by a violent crowd loyal to President Donald Trump.
The Capitol’s attending physician on Sunday notified all lawmakers of exposure to the virus and urged them to get tested for it. The infected person was not named.
Dr. Brian Moynihan wrote that “many members of the House community were isolated in the great hall, some for several hours,” on Wednesday. He said “individuals may have been exposed to another occupant with coronavirus infection.”
Dozens of lawmakers were taken to the safe location after pro-Trump insurgents stormed the Capitol in those days, breaking down barricades to roam the hallways and offices and loot the building.
Some members of Congress met for hours in the great hall, while others stayed there for a shorter period.
No further details were provided as to which person tested positive for the virus.
Some lawmakers and staff were furious after a video appeared about Republican lawmakers not wearing masks in the room during the closing.
Georgia’s newly elected representative, Marjorie Taylor Greene, a presidential ally aligned with a pro-Trump conspiracy group, was among Republicans who wore no masks.
Trump now faces dismissal after inciting supporters who were concentrating near the White House before marching on the Capitol. The House could vote on the dismissal in a matter of days, less than two weeks before Democratic President-elect Joe Biden is sworn in on January 20th.
A Capitol police officer was killed after being hit in the head with a fire extinguisher while riot police stormed the building and many other officers were injured. A California woman was shot dead by Capitol police and three people died after medical emergencies during the chaos.
Authorities announced on Sunday the death of a 51-year-old Capitol police officer. Two people familiar with the matter said the agent’s death was an apparent suicide. Officer Howard Liebengood had been assigned to the Senate Division and had been in the department since 2005. He is the son of a former Senate Sergeant-at-Arms.
It was unclear whether his death was related to Wednesday’s events.
Officials were not allowed to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
___
Associated Press writers Colleen Long and Michael Balsamo contributed to this report.