U.S. Senator Ted Cruz says he “briefly interacted” with person who tested positive for coronavirus

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U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said Sunday he had interacted with a person late last month at the Conservative Political Action Conference who has since tested positive for the new coronavirus.

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“That interaction consisted of a brief conversation and a handshake,” Cruz said in a statement, adding that he has decided to stay at his home in Houston “until a full 14 days have passed since the CPAC interaction,” though the interaction did not meet the Center for Disease Control’s criteria for self-quarantine.

Cruz also said in his statement that while he had not experienced any symptoms, he had already consulted with authorities from the Houston Health Department and the Department of Health and Human Services, among others, along with Vice President Mike Pence, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and newly named White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows.

The conference was held at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in Port Washington, Maryland from Feb. 26-29.

There have been at least 22 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Texas, though health officials have not reported any cases of community spread of the virus.

ARTICLE BY CASSANDRA POLLOCK, texastribune.org

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