The first case of COVID-19 linked to January 6th’s siege on Capitol Hill is being reported. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman has tested positive. Her office released a statement saying, “She believes she was exposed during protective isolation in the U.S. Capitol building as a result of insurrectionist riots. “
This isn’t a surprise. Some Republican lawmakers were caught on video turning down masks being offered by a colleague.
Over the weekend, Brian Monahan, an attending physician to Congress sent an email to members of Congress with this alert:
“On Wednesday January 6, many members of the House community were in protective isolation in room located in a large committee hearing space. The time in this room was several hours for some and briefer for others. During this time, individuals may have been exposed to another occupant with coronavirus infection.”
Watson Coleman is a cancer survivor. She previously received the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine, but it’s unclear how long ago she was vaccinated.
An outbreak is also expected among those who took part in the riots. Most of the participants were maskless. ABC News writes, “Public health officials will not know for weeks exactly how many new COVID cases are linked to the Capitol Hill riots, but they say the riots could turn out to be a super spreader event.”