Cory Booker, Elizabeth Warren, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan And More Test Positive For COVID-19
Three Democratic members of Congress announced on Sunday (December 19) that they have tested positive for COVID-19.
New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Colorado Rep. Jason Crow revealed they have breakthrough coronavirus infections via their official Twitter accounts.
All three say they’ve received COVID-19 booster shoots and are experiencing mild symptoms.
CNN confirms Warren was on the Senate floor last week before the chamber went on recess, but couldn’t affirm Booker was.
“I learned today that I tested positive for COVID-19 after first feeling symptoms on Saturday,” tweeted Booker. “My symptoms are relatively mild. I’m beyond grateful to have received two doses of vaccine and, more recently, a booster – I’m certain that without them I would be doing much worse.”
Warren wrote that she’s thankful to be protected from severe illness that can come from being unvaccinated.
"I regularly test for COVID & while I tested negative earlier this week, today I tested positive with a breakthrough case. Thankfully, I am only experiencing mild symptoms & am grateful for the protection provided against serious illness that comes from being vaccinated & boosted," Warren tweeted. "As cases increase across the country, I urge everyone who has not already done so to get the vaccine and the booster as soon as possible - together, we can save lives."
Crow tweeted that he "just returned from an official congressional delegation visit to Ukraine and tested positive for a breakthrough COVID infection."
Additionally, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan announced he also tested positive for COVID-19. On Monday via his Twitter account, he said he received a positive rapid test as a part of his regular testing routine.
"I have been vaccinated and boosted, and I am feeling fine at the moment," Hogan relayed.
The announcements come as the Omicron variant has emerged in the United States and is spreading rapidly. The U.S. is averaging 126,967 new cases per day as of Saturday, according to John Hopkins University data.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, said on Sunday the Omicron variant will likely hit the healthcare system hard this winter.
"It's going to take over," Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, said of the Omicron variant on CNN's State of the Union, urging Americans to get vaccinated and booster shots. "And be prudent in everything else you do: When you travel in your indoor settings that are congregated, wear a mask."
The World Health Organization reports cases of the Omicron are doubling every 1.5 to three days with documented spread. In the U.S., it is expected to become the “dominant strain” in the coming weeks.
For the latest on the coronavirus, check out BET’s blog on the virus, and contact your local health department or visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
