CIA employee in DC area shows signs of coronavirus: report

A CIA employee in the Washington, D.C., area is suspected of having coronavirus, intelligence officials told CNN on Thursday.

The individual reportedly does not work at the agency’s headquarters in Langley, Va., but does work in the D.C. area. The employee did not contract the virus during work-related travel, according to CNN.

In an email to employees, the CIA said nonessential domestic travel must be postponed.

“CIA’s first priority is the safety of our officers, and we continue to enact measures consistent with [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] CDC guidelines and our mission to protect the health and well-being of our global workforce,” Tim Barrett, a CIA spokesperson, told CNN.

The CIA did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Hill.

The suspected coronavirus case is not the first to affect the federal government. Several lawmakers, including Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas), have self-quarantined after being in the presence of someone who later tested positive. The U.S. Capitol has suspended tours and some offices have told staff to work remotely.

There are 40 confirmed cases of the virus in the District of Columbia, Virginia and Maryland combined, according to the Johns Hopkins Center for Systems Science and Engineering.