Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Another Congressman Contracts COVID
Politico: Rep. Rodney Davis Diagnosed With Covid Days After Warning Lawmakers About Safety
Days after delivering a presentation on office safety in dealing with Covid-19, Illinois Congressman Rodney Davis, the top Republican on the House Administration Committee, announced he has tested positive for the virus. In a letter posted on his website, Davis said he tested positive Wednesday morning. He submitted to the test after one of his twice-daily temperature checks “clocked in at 99 degrees Fahrenheit, which is higher than normal for me,” he wrote. (Kapos, 8/5)
The Hill: Illinois Republican Tests Positive For Coronavirus
“Having consulted with the Office of the Attending Physician (OAP) of Congress and local county health officials, our office is contacting constituents I have met with in-person within the previous 48 hours,” he said in a statement, citing guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Davis said he takes COVID-19, which data shows has killed more than 150,000 people in the U.S., “very seriously” and that his wife “is a nurse and a cancer survivor, which puts her in an at-risk category like so many Americans.” (Folley, 8/5)
In other legislative news, 4 people test positive at the Missouri Capitol —
AP: 4 Test Positive For Virus As Missouri Lawmakers Resume Work
Four people tested positive for the coronavirus following open testing at the Capitol in advance of lawmakers returning to work, the state health department announced Wednesday. The agency offered free testing to lawmakers, staffers and others who work at the Capitol at the request of Senate Democratic Minority Leader John Rizzo. A health department spokeswoman said 228 people were tested. (Ballentine, 8/5)
