Sen. Chris Coons Tests Positive For COVID-19

Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) announced Thursday that he had tested positive for COVID-19.

“I have minimal symptoms so far and am optimistic I will recover well after isolating and following CDC guidelines,” Coons said on Twitter. “Like millions of other families, it seems we’ll also be wrestling with another holiday spent on Zoom and cancelled plans for travel or gathering.”

Coons is the third senator to disclose a positive test result in recent days, following Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.).

Several lawmakers in the House have also recently tested positive — including House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) and Reps. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), Matt Cartwright (D-Penn.) and Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.) — as the more-transmissible omicron variant becomes dominant across the country.

Many areas across the country are experiencing a sharp uptick in COVID-19 cases, including Washington, D.C., and Delaware. However, early studies suggest omicron may spare the majority of those infected from being hospitalized, especially those who have been vaccinated.

“As we deal with the sharp rise in [omicron] cases here in Delaware and across the country, I urge you to get tested regularly, and get vaccinated and boosted if you haven’t already,” Coons said Thursday. “We all must continue to do our part to fight this pandemic and keep each other healthy.”