Oregon U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden is the latest member of Congress to test positive for COVID-19
Published 8:00 am Wednesday, April 27, 2022
- Oregon officials await the landing of Air Force One on April 21, 2022, at Portland International Airport. In line to greet the president, left to right, are U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer, U.S. Sens. Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden and U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio. Reporters and Secret Service members are nearby. Wyden on April 26 announced he tested positive for COVID-19.
WASHINGTON — Oregon’s senior U.S. senator, Ron Wyden, tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday, April 26.
On Twitter and in a news release, he said the infection was caught during routine testing. He’s experiencing “minor symptoms” and is working from his residence in Washington, D.C., the statements said. He will quarantine according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. It recommends people isolate themselves for five days.
Wyden is 72. He was in Eastern Oregon last week for virtual town halls and met President Joe Biden when he arrived in Portland on April 21.
A spokesperson, Hank Stern, said Wyden is fully vaccinated and has received two booster shots.
Vice President Kamala Harris, 57, also tested positive for COVID-19 on April 19.
Dozens of Republicans and Democrats in Congress have tested positive for the virus over the past two years. They include House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who tested positive earlier this month and reported no symptoms. She tested positive a day after appearing at a White House event with President Joe Biden. The California Democrat, 82, also is fully vaccinated.
Members of Congress — Republicans and Democrats — also have become infected with the virus. So have Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and Attorney General Merrick Garland. The president’s sister, Valerie Biden Owens, has been infected.
Wyden’s infection coincides with a wave of infections caused by a new variant, B.A. 2, which appears to be the most infectious to date. The variant has become the dominant strain in Oregon, according to Oregon Health Authority data.
COVID-19 infections have risen in Oregon during the past two weeks, with a seven-day daily average of about 760 known cases. The state only can track reported tests; many people test at home and don’t report the results.
Hospitalizations in Oregon remain low — 135 people are hospitalized with COVID-19. State data show 84% of adults in Oregon have received at least one dose of a vaccine and 45% have received at least one booster dose. A second booster is approved for those aged 50 and over four months after they received the first booster shot.
