Three Texas House Democrats in Washington test positive for coronavirus

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Three Democratic MPs from the Texas House of Representatives tested positive for the coronavirus, according to the Texas House Democratic Committee.

The three lawmakers are among the House Democrats who fled to Washington, DC earlier this week to fend off overriding GOP voting laws during the special legislative session. The three members who tested positive are all fully vaccinated, which helps protect against serious illness.

On the night of Friday, a member tested positive for the corona virus and immediately alerted colleagues who, in addition to employees, also carried out rapid tests. On Saturday morning, two other members tested positive after rapid tests. The Democratic Group did not identify the members who tested positive. The cases were first reported by the Austin American Statesman.

In a statement, Rep. Chris Turner of Grand Prairie, the chairman of the caucus, said the caucus adhered to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention policies and protocols. According to the CDC, fully vaccinated people do not need to be quarantined if they have been in close contact with someone who tests positive and are not showing any symptoms. Even when traveling to the United States, people who are fully vaccinated do not need to be tested or self-quarantined before or after the trip.

“This is a sober reminder that COVID is still with us, and while vaccinations offer tremendous protection, we still need to take the necessary precautions,” Turner said. “We are in contact with public health experts in Texas for additional advice. Our caucus will follow all recommendations from public health experts as we continue our work. “

A small percentage of vaccine breakthrough cases where a fully vaccinated person tests positive for the coronavirus were expected, according to the CDC, but they are rare and do not preclude the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines.

The average number of coronavirus cases reported each day in Texas for the past week has increased by nearly 1,000 compared to the average a week ago, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. Hospital admissions have also increased, with more than 2,500 Texans hospitalized as of July 14. On Saturday, the state achieved a positivity rate of more than 10%. The positivity rate measures how widespread the virus is in Texas based on positive test results.

The highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus has alarmed some health experts. At least three cases of a recent outbreak in a church camp in the Houston area have been confirmed to be Delta variant.

In recent days, Republican lawmakers who have criticized the House Democrats’ move to break the quorum have urged their colleagues to return to the Capitol before the end of the current August 6 special session. More than 51 Democrats left the state last week and left without the minimum number of lawmakers required to do business. However, a handful of Democrats continue to insist that they have no plans to return to the state anytime soon.

In a statement on Saturday, House Speaker Dade Phelan wrote on Twitter that he was distributing his “prayers for safety and health” to members of the Democratic Group.

Phelan, a Republican from Beaumont, said Thursday he would charter a plane to Austin this weekend to get the Texas Democrats out of the country’s capital. A resolution was passed in the House of Representatives on Wednesday that will allow lawmakers to track down lawmakers who have fled the House of Representatives Chamber. Texas law enforcement agencies have no jurisdiction in Washington, DC, however, so it is not clear whether the procedural step has power until lawmakers return to the state.

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