Senator Rand Paul confirmed Sunday that he has tested positive for COVID-19 – the first U.S. Senator to do so.
“Senator Rand Paul has tested positive for COVID-19. He is feeling fine and is in quarantine,” a tweet from the Kentucky Republican’s account read.
The Senator said that he was asymptomatic and had not been in contact with any known carriers of the novel coronavirus but was tested out of an “abundance of caution due to his extensive travel and events”.
The Senator’s office began operating remotely ten days ago, so it affirmed that “virtually no staff” had been in contact with him.
As many Americans across the United States struggle to get tested for COVID-19, many critics have taken to social media questioning how and why the senator was able to be tested if he was asymptomatic and had no known contact with a carrier.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has said that testing abilities in the United States are expected to increase.