US Senator Ted Cruz Quarantines Himself At Texas Home Amid Coronavirus Fears

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 09th March, 2020) Republican Senator Ted Cruz is isolating himself at his home in Texas after he learned that he had come into contact with the coronavirus-infected participant of the US Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).

"Last night, I was informed that 10 days ago at CPAC I briefly interacted with an individual who is currently symptomatic and has tested positive for COVID-19. That interaction consisted of a brief conversation and a handshake," Ted Cruz said in a Sunday statement, released on Twitter.

According to the statement, medical authorities told Cruz that he does not meet the criteria of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for self-quarantine, as he is not experiencing any symptoms and is past the average 5-6 day incubation period for the COVID-19 virus.

"Nevertheless, out of an abundance of caution, and because of how frequently I interact with my constituents as a part of my job and to give everyone peace of mind, I have decided to remain at my home in Texas this week, until a full 14 days have passed since the CPAC interaction," Cruz said in his statement.

Earlier on Sunday, Chairman of the American Conservative Union (ACU) Matt Schlapp said on Fox news he had incidental contact with the participant of the CPAC who had tested positive for coronavirus, but that the contact was very brief and posed no threat.

On Saturday, the American Conservative Union announced in a statement that one of the CPAC attendees had tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19). According to the release, the exposure occurred prior to the conference and the infected individual is now in quarantine.

The CPAC took place at the end of last month at National Harbor outside Washington DC and was attended by US President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, among other political figures.

According to the American Conservative Union, the CPAC attendee who had tested positive for coronavirus had no interaction with the President or the Vice President and never attended the events in the main hall.

Schlapp stressed on Sunday that all of the prominent political figures who attended CPAC, including Trump, washed and sanitized their hands multiple times during the conference.