Energy secretary returns to DC after security staffers test positive for coronavirus 

Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette will return to Washington, D.C., after two members of his security detail tested positive for the coronavirus. 

Brouillette tested negative and is not showing symptoms, but he and his staff will return to the city by car “out of an abundance of caution,” Energy Department spokesperson Shaylyn Hynes said in a statement late Thursday. 

Hynes said that Brouillette will follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The department did not immediately respond to The Hill’s question about specific precautions the secretary would take. 

STATEMENT FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY pic.twitter.com/oXzj9klsBw

— DOE Press Staff (@EnergyPress) October 16, 2020

According to the CDC, people who come into close contact with those who test positive should stay home for 14 days and keep a distance of at least six feet from others at all times. 

The Energy secretary was slated to be in Ohio on Friday and be part of a roundtable with industry leaders on the future of energy jobs in the region. 

He was also expected to meet with stakeholders regarding a proposed petrochemical complex. 

Earlier this week, Brouillette attended an event in Tennessee with Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R). A member of Lee’s security detail has also tested positive for the coronavirus.