Ayanna Pressley's Husband Tests Positive For COVID After Being Locked Down Inside Capitol
BOSTON (CBS) - Conan Harris, the husband of Massachusetts Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, has tested positive for COVID-19 after being locked down with her during last week's riot inside the U.S. Capitol building.
Harris came with Pressley to Washington, D.C., for her swearing-in ceremony last week and accompanied her in the Capitol before the mob broke into the building on January 6.
Pressley's office said Harris received the positive coronavirus test on Tuesday night. Pressley has tested negative and remains in isolation.
In a statement released Wednesday, she blasted her Republican colleagues and claims some of them "repeatedly refused to wear masks when offered" while they hid from the rioters.
"As my colleagues and I sought shelter from the white supremacist mob that violently attacked our seat of government, we were greeted by a different threat—one posed by my callous Republican colleagues who, in this crowded and confined space, repeatedly refused to wear masks when offered," Pressley wrote. "Their arrogant disregard for the lives of others is infuriating, but not surprising, and we are seeing the consequences of it daily, as several of my colleagues—and now my husband—test positive for COVID-19."
So far, three Democratic lawmakers - Reps. Pramila Jayapal, Brad Schneider and Bonnie Watson - have tested positive for the virus since the lockdown.
"While Conan and I will remain in isolation in the coming days, I will continue to carry out my duties as the Representative for the people of the Massachusetts 7th Congressional District and look forward to holding this lawless president accountable for endangering our lives and our democracy," she said.
In her statement, Pressley also advocated for a mask mandate for everyone that works in the Capitol, including congressional staff and members of the Senate.
"As Congress proceeds with impeachment and removal of a president who openly incited a violent and racist assault on our democratic process, we must also ensure adequate protocols are in place to protect the health and safety of Members of Congress, congressional staff, Capitol support and service workers, and journalists. That includes a strict mask mandate for everyone in the building, serious fines and immediate removal from the House floor and House buildings for those who refuse to comply, and access to free, universal COVID-19 testing."
The Congress's Attending Physician told members and staff that those in the secured room may have, "been exposed to another occupant with coronavirus infection."
Pressley's office also announced on Wednesday that the panic buttons in her office had been removed before the attack on the Capitol.
Her office told WBZ-TV that "the matter has been raised with relevant agencies and is currently under investigation."