Coronavirus: Rep. Ayanna Pressley tests positive for COVID-19

Rep. Ayanna Pressley on Friday said she tested positive for COVID-19, after experiencing symptoms she described as “relatively mild.”

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“I am grateful to be fully vaccinated and boosted,” the Massachusetts Democrat said in a statement. “I am currently isolating and following all health protocols in order to mitigate further spread and keep my loved ones and community safe.”

She praised scientists, researchers and health care workers who have worked through the ongoing pandemic and emphasized Friday that “vaccines save lives.”

“I encourage everyone to do their part by getting vaccinated, boosted and masking up,” she said.

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Pressley has represented Massachusetts in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2019.

Since the start of the pandemic, several lawmakers have tested positive for COVID-19, including Sens. Chris Coons, D-Del.; Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.; Cory Booker, D-N.J.; John Hickenlooper, D-Colo.; Roger Wicker, R-Miss.; Angus King, I-Maine; and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.

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Reps. James Clyburn, D-S.C.; Jason Crow, D-Colo.; Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash.; Tim Ryan, D-Ohio; Vern Buchanan, R-Fla.; and Joe Morrelle, D-N.Y., have also reported infections.

Officials have confirmed 54.5 million COVID-19 infections and reported more than 825,000 deaths nationwide, according to numbers compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

Nearly 288 million COVID-19 cases have been reported worldwide, resulting in more than 5.4 million deaths, according to the university.

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