14 US Capitol Police officers test positive for coronavirus since late March, Fox News reports
WASHINGTON - Fox News has learned that 14 U.S. Capitol Police officers have tested positive for the coronavirus since late March.
Congressional correspondent Chad Pergram reports that Fox was told "at least two" tested positive this week and "about a dozen" were then isolated this week because of potential contact issues.
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Pergram reports that the USCP told Fox "nine of them have fully recovered" or been cleared to return to work.
Sources tell Fox that the USCP had to clean a locker room in the Capitol after one issue arose with officers contracting coronavirus. Pergram reports there was also an issue with an outdoor police security kiosk on the House side of the Capitol grounds.
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In a statement, the USCP said it "is working closely with the Office of Attending Physician and the Architect of the Capitol, and our focus is on the health and well-being of our employees."
The coronavirus crisis forced Congressional officials to suspend their collective bargaining pact with the USCP, Pergram reports. Fox was told that the USCP has fared better with coronavirus cases compared to numerous other departments, including the Metropolitan Police in Washington, D.C.
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Pergram reports that the Senate remains in session this week and the House could return to session as early as next week – which is prompting concerns about spreading the virus on Capitol Hill.
Senate Health Committee Chairman Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) described Washington as a "coronavirus hotspot," reported Pergram. Alexander expressed concern that having lawmakers shuttling back and forth between the Capitol and their home states and districts "creates a highly efficient virus spreading machine." Alexander notes that the concern is not "about protecting members of Congress. It is about protecting the people members might infect."