Rep. Paul Gosar announces contact with coronavirus patient

PHOENIX — U.S. Rep Paul Gosar of Arizona has come in contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, the illness caused by the novel coronavirus, he announced Sunday.

Both Gosar and his staff came in contact with the individual during last month’s Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, D.C., according to a press release. The event was held Feb. 26-29.

On Monday morning, Gosar said he was told the chances he’d been infected were slim.

“They had told us not to get too excited because we were in our ninth day and that the chances of getting this virus is highest in the 2-5 day period,” he told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s The Mike Broomhead Show.

“But they wanted to take precautions and just have us stay put and not travel until 14 days, which they feel is the total incubation. So they felt it’s less than 5% chance that we had it.”

Gosar said he’d “spent quite a bit of time” during the conference with the person who tested positive but nobody exposed is showing any symptoms.

“We’re staying at home, doing our work from home,” he said. “So we’re still going at it.”

Sen. Ted Cruz also announced Sunday that he would be self-quarantining following contact at the conference.

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