Congress Hit by 'Unprecedented' Surge in Cases

The Capitol physician is warning lawmakers of an "unprecedented" number of cases hitting members of Congress and their staffers. At the on-site testing center, the 7-day positivity rate is higher than 13%, compared to less than 1% before the rise of the omicron variant, Politico reports. Omicron accounts for 61% of current cases in Congress, according to the letter from the Office of the Attending Physician, with delta accounting for 38% of cases, per NBC News. Of current patients, 65% are symptomatic and 35% asymptomatic. The letter from Dr. Brian Monahan warned that cases are expected to rise even further.

He recommended in-person meetings be eliminated "to the maximum extent possible" and that the mask policy, when indoor gatherings must take place, be strictly enforced. People should be wearing N-95 masks rather than surgical masks or cloth masks, he added, and he recommended lawmakers get vaccinated and get a booster shot. The Senate returns to work Tuesday, with the House of Representatives following next week. A Senate Democratic source says the party's regular in-person lunches are expected to be held virtually for at least this week. For details on who in Congress has tested positive or been exposed to COVID, see GovTrack.