Coronavirus: Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers tests positive for COVID-19

Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers said Friday that she is experiencing mild symptoms one day after testing positive for COVID-19.

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“Yesterday, despite being fully vaccinated, I tested positive for COVID-19,” the Washington Republican said in a statement. She added that she is quarantining at home and that her offices remain open to serve her constituents.

“As I have said for months, I encourage everyone in Eastern Washington to talk to your doctor about getting the vaccine if you haven’t already,” she said.

The House of Representatives has been in recess this week, according to Axios.

McMorris Rodgers’ diagnosis is the latest known breakthrough case of COVID-19 in Congress. Others who have tested positive after vaccination include Sens. John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., Roger Wicker, R-Miss., Angus King, I-Maine and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. Reps. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, Vern Buchanan, R-Fla. and Joe Morrelle, D-N.Y., have also reported breakthrough infections.

Research has shown that fully vaccinated people can spread the highly transmissible delta variant of the virus; however, officials have noted that vaccination protects well against severe and life-threatening symptoms of the viral infection.

As of Thursday morning, about 56% of Americans, or 186.6 million people, have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Just over 65% of the population, or 216.2 million people, have gotten at least one dose of any of the available vaccines, according to the CDC.

Since the start of the pandemic, officials have confirmed over 42.1 million COVID-19 infections and reported more than 674,000 deaths nationwide, according to numbers compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

Over 228.8 million COVID-19 cases have been reported worldwide, resulting in nearly 4.7 million deaths, according to Johns Hopkins.

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