CHARLESTON, W.Va. — U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., has tested positive for the coronavirus.
Capito announced the positive test on Thursday, noting the results followed a routine coronavirus test.
“Thankfully, I am asymptomatic,” she said in a statement.
A Capito spokesperson told MetroNews the senator is fully vaccinated and boosted.
“I have consulted with the Attending Physician and plan to follow the CDC’s recommendations and quarantine for five days,” the senator added.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, vaccine breakthrough infections can happen, yet fully vaccinated people are less likely to develop serious symptoms than unvaccinated individuals who get COVID-19. A vaccinated person also has a lower risk of being hospitalized or dying from the virus.
The agency recommends isolation for at least five days from the date of a positive test for asymptomatic people. People who develop symptoms should begin their isolation period after the first sign of symptoms.
Unlike the House of Representatives, the Senate does not allow proxy voting in its chamber, which permits members to cast another lawmaker’s vote with permission.
Capito participated in multiple in-person congressional activities on Wednesday, including a Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing and a press conference related to the Violence Against Women Act.
Capito entered self-quarantine in September 2020 after being exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID-19. The senator tested negative at that time, and she took part in virtual meetings and hearings as well as committee votes.