New Jersey Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman announced Monday that she had tested positive for Covid-19 after she and other members of Congress were kept in a secret location during last week’s insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
Watson Coleman said she tested positive after receiving a rapid antigen test.
“While I am experiencing mild, cold-like symptoms, I remain in good spirits and will continue to work on behalf of my constituents,” said Watson Coleman, who has represented New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District since 2015, in a statement.
The 75-year-old congresswoman, a cancer survivor, said she was at home resting and awaiting the results of a PCR test.
All House members, along with their staff, were told Sunday to get tested for Covid-19 because of potential exposure as they hid from rioters who stormed the Capitol on Wednesday. Several lawmakers in the secure location at the time were reportedly not wearing masks.
Watson Coleman, who has already received the first dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, is one of the first known members of Congress to test positive for Covid-19 after the insurrection.
Rep. Donald Norcross (D-N.J.) canceled public appearances on Monday after possible exposure to the virus during the riot and is awaiting test results.
It was not immediately known whether other members of New Jersey’s House delegation had been tested.