Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) has tested positive for coronavirus.
The announcement was made via Twitter: "He is feeling fine and is in quarantine," it said. "He is asymptomatic and was tested out of an abundance of caution due to his extensive travel and events. He was not aware of any direct contact with any infected person."
Paul was the only senator to vote against the first round of an $8.3 billion emergency coronavirus bill last month. He’s also one of only eight senators who voted against paid sick leave in a stimulus package that was approved with a 90-8 vote last week. Paul is also a licensed medical professional in Kentucky.
Some have questioned how he was able to get his hands on a coronavirus test when he showed no symptoms and hadn’t come into contact with someone who had tested positive, while there has been a shortage in tests.
“I think that the paid sick leave is an incentive for businesses to actually let go employees and will make unemployment worse,” Paul told Newsweek.
Paul is the first senator to test positive for COVID-19. Two congress members, Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL) and Ben McAdams (D-UT) have also revealed that they tested positive.
At the beginning of this month, Paul minimized the coronavirus threat, telling Fox News, “While it is worldwide, I think there is room for optimism that this thing may plateau out in a few weeks and not be as bad it as it may have been portrayed.” He added, “We’ve seen pockets of this around the world and even in Italy and Iran where we have it, but none of it is approaching what started in China.”
A number of celebrities have tested positive for coronavirus, including Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson, Idris Elba, Kevin Durant, Andy Cohen, and more.
