Aide to Sen. Maria Cantwell tests positive for coronavirus


A member of Sen. Maria Cantwell's (D-Wash.) staff has tested positive for coronavirus.
The staffer works out of Cantwell's Washington, D.C., office. This is the first publicly confirmed case of the COVID-19 coronavirus on Capitol Hill, Politico reports.
Cantwell has asked that additional staffers be tested for coronavirus. Her D.C. office will be closed for the rest of the week, with staffers working remotely.
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In Cantwell's home state of Washington, there are 376 confirmed cases of coronavirus. At least 31 people have died there from the virus. In an attempt to slow down the spread of coronavirus in the state, Gov. Jay Inslee (D) announced on Wednesday a ban on gatherings of more than 250 people in three counties.
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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
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