House

Georgia Republican Drew Ferguson tests positive for COVID-19

by Juliegrace Brufke - 10/30/20 1:57 PM ET

Rep. Drew Ferguson (R-Ga.) announced that he tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday after experiencing mild symptoms.

The Georgia Republican, who serves as House Republican deputy whip, said he is quarantining and will continue working from home.

“Last night I began feeling mild symptoms consistent with a cold, with no fever. This morning when I began running a slight fever, I immediately took a COVID test which has come back positive. Following the advice of my physician, I will be self-quarantining and working from home,” he tweeted.

“I have also notified the Office of the Attending Physician in Congress and asked for their guidance. While the vast majority of my recent schedule has been virtual, we are beginning the process of reaching out to anyone I have seen in recent days. I am eager to get back to work and will do so as soon as I have fully recovered,” Ferguson added.

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— Drew Ferguson (@RepDrewFerguson) October 30, 2020

Ferguson attended a rally Tuesday with Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) and Kemp’s wife, who both announced Friday that they are quarantining while awaiting test results.

Ferguson joins 20 other lawmakers who have tested positive for the coronavirus:

Reps. Mike Bost (R-Ill.), Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.), Rodney Davis (R-Ill.), Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.), Joe Cunningham (D-S.C.), Neal Dunn (R-Fla.), Louie Gohmert (R-Texas), Morgan Griffith (R-Va.), Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.), Jahana Hayes (D-Conn.), Mike Kelly (R-Pa.), Ben McAdams (D-Utah), Dan Meuser (R-Pa.), Tom Rice (R-S.C.) and Nydia Velázquez (D-N.Y.), have all tested positive, along with GOP Sens. Bill Cassidy (La.), Ron Johnson (Wis.), Mike Lee (Utah), Rand Paul (Ky.) and Thom Tillis (N.C.).

The House is out of session, but lawmakers have been pushing to make testing more widely available for members, staff and press at the Capitol.

Earlier in the pandemic, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) turned down an offer from the White House to make rapid testing kits available on Capitol Hill, saying they should instead be deployed to front-line workers.