Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney said he tested positive Tuesday morning for COVID-19.
In a statement, the New York Democrat said he was grateful to have been fully vaccinated and to have gotten his booster shot after experiencing what he described as “minor cold-like symptoms.” He said he will isolate and work remotely as he recovers.
“Please go get your vaccine and booster if you have not yet,” he said. “It is the best thing we can do to protect ourselves and our communities.”
This morning, I tested positive for COVID-19. While I am experiencing minor cold-like symptoms, I’m grateful to be fully vaccinated and boosted, which is protecting me from more severe illness.
— Sean Patrick Maloney (@RepSeanMaloney) January 11, 2022
Please go get your vaccine and booster if you have not yet. pic.twitter.com/BQs8o0znd2
Public health officials have urged people to get vaccinated against COVID-19, noting that while the available vaccines do not entirely mitigate the risk of developing the viral infection, they protect well against severe illness caused by the virus.
Since the start of the pandemic, several lawmakers have tested positive for COVID-19, including Reps. Dutch Ruppersberger, D-Md.; Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.; Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass.; James Clyburn, D-S.C.; Jason Crow, D-Colo.; Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash.; Tim Ryan, D-Ohio; Vern Buchanan, R-Fla.; and Joe Morelle, D-N.Y.
>> Related: Insurers directed by Biden to cover 8 at-home COVID-19 tests per person per month
Sens. Rob Portman, R-Ohio; Chris Coons, D-Del.; Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.; Cory Booker, D-N.J.; John Hickenlooper, D-Colo.; Roger Wicker, R-Miss.; Angus King, I-Maine; and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., have also reported infections.
As of Thursday morning, more than 74% of the U.S. population – 247 million people – has gotten at least one dose of any of the available COVID-19 vaccines, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 62% of Americans, or 207.7 million people, have been fully vaccinated, and over 36% of those who have been fully vaccinated have gotten booster shots, CDC data shows.
Officials have confirmed nearly 62 million COVID-19 infections and reported more than 841,000 deaths nationwide, according to numbers compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
Over 312 million COVID-19 cases have been reported worldwide, resulting in 5.5 million deaths, according to the university.
©2022 Cox Media Group