Maryland Democrat announces positive COVID-19 test

Rep. David Trone (D-Md.) announced he has tested positive for COVID-19 in the latest breakthrough case among lawmakers in Congress. 

“Today, I tested positive for COVID-19. I’m fully vaccinated + boosted, and am only experiencing mild symptoms,” Trone wrote in a tweet on Saturday. 

“I’ll be voting by proxy this week. In the meantime, I’ll use my saved commute time to continue telling folks to #GetVaccinated so we can finally end this damn pandemic!” 

Trone’s infection follows similar announcements in the past week or so from Reps. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-Md.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Jim Cooper (R-Tenn.), Sean Casten (D-Ill.) and Ashley Hinson (R-Iowa.).

Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) also announced she has tested positive for COVID-19 in a tweet on Monday, adding she is experiencing mild symptoms. 

“I have tested positive for COVID-19. Thankfully, I am fully vaccinated and boosted and experiencing mild symptoms,” DeGette wrote. “Per CDC guidelines, I will remain self-isolated and working from my home in Denver this week.” 

The U.S. is currently dealing with a winter surge of COVID-19 infections being driven by the omicron variant. Though the rise in cases has slowed in some regions of the country, public health experts warn the current wave may not have peaked yet. 

“The challenge is that the entire country is not moving at the same pace,” Surgeon General Vivek Murthy told CNN in an interview on Sunday. 

“The omicron wave started later in other parts of the country, so we shouldn’t expect a national peak in the next coming days,” he added. “The next few weeks will be tough.”