3 Texas House Democrats tested positive for Covid-19 in Washington, DC

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Lawmakers are part of the group that left Texas, flying from Austin to Washington to break the State House quorum and prevent Republicans from passing restrictive new voting laws. The three members who test positive are fully vaccinated, according to the caucus. They were not identified in Saturday’s statement.

One member tested positive on Friday evening, prompting all caucus members and staff to take a quick Covid-19 test. On Saturday, two other members tested positive with rapid tests.

The Austin American-Statesman first reported on the positive tests of lawmakers.

Texas House Democratic Caucus Chairman Chris Turner said in the statement his group was following the guidelines and protocols of the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and had contacted Texas public health experts for advice. additional.

“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,” he said.

Fully vaccinated people who have been exposed to Covid-19 but do not show symptoms do not need to quarantine or get tested for the virus after exposure, according to current CDC guidelines, unless they are ‘They are not in a correctional or detention facility or homeless shelter.
While in Washington this week, members of the Texas House Democratic Caucus met with Vice President Kamala Harris, as well as members of Congress, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin .

Harris met with two of the members on Tuesday who have since tested positive but were “not at risk of exposure,” Senior Advisor and Harris spokesperson Symone Sanders said in a statement on Saturday.

“Based on the timeline of these positive tests, it was determined that the Vice President and her staff present at the meeting were not at risk of exposure as they were not in close contact with those who had tested positive and therefore do not need to be tested or quarantined, ”Sanders said, adding that the vice president and her staff were fully vaccinated.

A spokesperson for Schumer said none of the members of the Texas State House infected with Covid-19 had had contact with his office this week.

CNN contacted the Texas House Democratic Caucus to find out if members who tested positive were involved in Additional meetings.

Texas State Representative James Talarico told CNN’s Jim Acosta on Saturday that he and his colleagues on the Texas delegation knew their trip to Washington “would involve certain risks.”

“It has created a health risk because there is an active pandemic and a lot of our members are over 65, but they chose to travel because it’s so much bigger than a politician. bigger than you or me, ”Talarico said of their fight to protect access to the ballot box. “This is about the American experience and its survival for future generations.”

This story was updated with additional details on Saturday.

CNN’s Daniella Diaz and Jasmine Wright contributed to this report.

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