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- Texas House Democrats fled the state earlier this week to block GOP bills.
- Three of the lawmakers, all vaccinated, tested positive for COVID-19 while in Washington.
- It is rare but possible for vaccinated people to contract COVID-19, but cases are usually mild.
- See more stories on the Insider business page.
Three Democratic members of the Texas House of Representatives tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday while in Washington, DC, the Texas House Democratic Caucus said in a statement on Saturday.
Lawmakers fled Texas in a dramatic walkout earlier this week to prevent the passage of a number of Republican bills in a special legislative session. They said they were traveling to the nation’s capital to pressure Congress to pass voting rights bills.
In a statement provided to Insider, the caucus said the members, who were not identified, were fully vaccinated.
After testing positive for COVID-19 on Friday, other members of the delegation underwent rapid tests. Two more tested positive on Saturday.
Read more: Former Kamala Harris staff have bad memories of a toxic culture in her former offices, texting each other about it
“The House Democratic Caucus follows all CDC guidelines and protocols. It’s a sober reminder that COVID is always with us, and while vaccinations offer tremendous protection, we still need to take the necessary precautions,” said Representative Chris Turner, caucus chair, said in a statement. “We are in contact with public health experts in Texas to provide further advice. Our caucus will follow all recommendations from public health experts as we continue our work.”
It is possible to test positive for COVID-19 after being fully immunized. Known as “breakthrough” infections, cases like these are usually mild and perhaps less contagious, previously reported Andrea Michelson and Mia de Graaf of Insider.
According to the CDC, although the risk of contracting the virus during vaccination is low, vaccinated people who show symptoms of COVID-19 should isolate themselves from others and be assessed and tested clinically. People vaccinated without symptoms do not need to self-isolate or be tested after possible exposure.
Vice President Kamala Harris met with caucus members on Tuesday. In one declaration, her spokesperson said she was not in close contact with members who tested positive and therefore did not need to be tested or quarantined.
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