Florida Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart is 1st member of Congress to test positive for coronavirus

(Image credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

published 19 March 2020

Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) announced on Wednesday that he has tested positive for the COVID-19 coronavirus.

Diaz-Balart is the first member of Congress to contract the virus. Diaz-Balart's office said he developed symptoms, including a fever and headache, on Saturday evening, and was notified on Wednesday that he tested positive for COVID-19.

In a statement, Diaz-Balart said he is "feeling much better," and urged the public to "take this seriously" and follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines "to avoid getting sick and mitigate the spread of this virus. We must continue to work together to emerge stronger as a country during these trying times." While in quarantine, he is working from his home in Washington, D.C.

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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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