Mississippi Republican Senator Roger Wicker and Maine Independent Senator Angus King said on Thursday they had tested positive for the coronavirus, adding to the number of breakthrough cases among lawmakers.
“Senator Wicker has been fully vaccinated against Covid-19, is in good health and is being treated by his Tupelo-based physician,” his spokesperson, Phillip Waller, said in a statement released by his office, adding that the senator had only mild symptoms. . symptoms.
Mr Wicker’s announcement came as his home state has shattered previous records for new cases this week and now reports more new cases relative to its population than any other state in the country. Mississippi has an average of 118 new cases per day for every 100,000 people, according to data collected by NewsMadura.
King’s statement said he was symptomatic but took recommended precautions.
“While I don’t feel great, I definitely feel a lot better than without the vaccine,” he said. “I take this diagnosis very seriously. I’m quarantining myself at home and telling the few people I’ve had contact with to get tested to limit further spread.”
The Senate is on recess this week, making it unclear whether Mr Wicker or Mr King has had any recent contact with other lawmakers. They are the ninth and tenth senators to test positive so far, according to news reports compiled by Ballotpedia, a political data website; more than 50 members of the House of Representatives have tested positive.
Several other vaccinated politicians have recently announced their own breakthrough cases, including South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, who said he tested positive for the virus after attending a meeting hosted by West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin III.
On Tuesday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott tested positive and began receiving antibody treatment, highlighting both growing concerns about breakthrough cases in the United States and political tensions over public health measures that Mr. Abbott has consistently opposed in his home state.
While Mr Wicker has encouraged his voters to get vaccinated and has welcomed national vaccination efforts in official statements, he has also opposed elements of the Biden administration’s response to the coronavirus. In June, he introduced a resolution calling on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to end a mask mandate for vaccinated people on public transportation.
Because the Delta variant spreads aggressively, infections in vaccinated people have been seen more frequently, although they are still rare. The surge and increasing frequency of breakthrough infections have prompted agencies to expand public health measures. The Transportation Security Administration said Tuesday that the mask mandate will remain in effect on public transportation until Jan. 18.
