Senators Roger Wicker and Angus King Test Positive for Covid

Politics|Two much senators person tested affirmative for Covid-19; some are breakthrough cases.

• Aug. 19, 2021, 2:16 p.m. ET

Senator Roger Wicker, Republican of Mississippi, and Senator Angus King, autarkic of Maine, said connected Thursday that they had tested affirmative for the coronavirus, adding to the fig of breakthrough cases among lawmakers.

“Senator Wicker is afloat vaccinated against Covid-19, is successful bully wellness and is being treated by his Tupelo-based physician,” his spokesman, Phillip Waller, said successful a connection released by his office, adding that the legislator was experiencing lone mild symptoms.

The announcement from Mr. Wicker came arsenic his location authorities has shattered erstwhile records for caller cases this week, and is present reporting much caller cases comparative to its colonisation than immoderate different authorities successful the country. Mississippi is averaging 118 caller cases a time for each 100,000 people, according to data compiled by The New York Times.

Mr. King’s connection said helium was symptomatic but taking recommended precautions.

“While I americium not feeling great, I’m decidedly feeling overmuch amended than I would person without the vaccine,” helium said. “I americium taking this diagnosis precise seriously, quarantining myself astatine location and telling the fewer radical I’ve been successful interaction with to get tested successful bid to bounds immoderate further spread.”

The Senate is successful recess this week, leaving it unclear whether either Mr. Wicker oregon Mr. King had been successful caller interaction with different lawmakers. They are the ninth and tenth senators to trial affirmative truthful far, according to quality reports compiled by Ballotpedia, a governmental information website; much than 50 members of the House person tested positive.

Several different vaccinated politicians person precocious announced breakthrough cases of their own, including Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who said helium tested positive for the microorganism aft attending a gathering hosted by Senator Joe Manchin III of West Virginia.

On Tuesday, Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas tested positive and began receiving an antibody treatment, highlighting some the increasing concerns implicit breakthrough cases successful the United States and the governmental tensions implicit nationalist wellness measures that Mr. Abbott has consistently opposed successful his location state.

While Mr. Wicker has encouraged his constituents to get vaccinated and has applauded the nationalist vaccination effort successful official statements, helium has besides resisted elements of the Biden administration’s coronavirus response. In June, helium introduced a resolution calling connected the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to extremity a disguise mandate for vaccinated radical connected nationalist transportation.

As the Delta variant spreads aggressively, infections successful vaccinated radical person been seen much frequently, though they are inactive rare. The surge and the rising frequence of breakthrough infections person prompted agencies to widen nationalist wellness measures. The Transportation Security Administration said connected Tuesday that the disguise mandate would stay successful effect connected nationalist proscription done Jan. 18.