Arizona Democrat tests positive for COVID-19

Rep. Tom O’Halleran (D-Ariz.) announced on Saturday that he had tested positive for COVID-19 in a breakthrough case of the virus.

“Today, after arriving back in Arizona for a district work week, I tested positive for COVID-19. I am fully vaccinated and boosted, and am only experiencing mild symptoms. I am grateful for the medical advances in vaccines and masks that have protected me,” he said in a statement posted to Twitter.

“I’ll be masked up and quarantining here in Arizona until I’m cleared to travel again. I’m grateful for all the kind well wishes and looking forward to getting back to work for Arizonans in person soon and virtually even sooner!”

Earlier this month, at least three House members tested positive for the coronavirus after attending the House Democratic retreat in Philadelphia: Reps. Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.), Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) and Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.). 

Several other House members also tested positive — Reps. Jared Golden (D-Maine) and Andy Kim (D-N.J.) — but both had not attended the retreat. 

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) also tested positive earlier this month.

President Biden’s chief medical adviser Anthony Fauci said on the ABC News podcast “Start Here” that he anticipated there could be a rise in COVID-19 cases in the coming weeks, basing his prediction off what he was hearing from colleagues in the U.K., but said it was not clear if it would lead to a surge.

“I would not be surprised if in the next few weeks we see somewhat of either a flattening of our diminution or maybe even an increase,” Fauci said.

“Whether or not that is going to lead to another surge, a mini surge or maybe even a moderate surge, is very unclear because there are a lot of other things that are going on right now,” he noted.