Miami’s Mario Diaz-Balart is first member of Congress to test positive for coronavirus
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Miami Republican Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart became the first member of Congress to test positive for the novel coronavirus, his office said Wednesday.
Diaz-Balart entered self-quarantine in the early morning on Saturday, March 14 — after voting on the coronavirus relief package at 1 a.m. on the House floor — and stayed in Washington because his wife, Tia, has a pre-existing medical condition.
Diaz-Balart self-isolated after consulting a doctor out of caution for his wife, so he could either avoid jeopardizing her health if he came down with symptoms or return home after 14 days if he showed no symptoms. Given the large number of people he’d come into contact with as a result of his work as a congressman, Diaz-Balart was told by his doctor it would be best to stay in Washington.
On Saturday evening, Diaz-Balart, 58, developed symptoms, including a fever and headache, according to his office, and on Sunday he was tested.
On Wednesday afternoon, he tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by novel coronavirus.
“I want everyone to know that I am feeling much better,” Diaz-Balart said in a statement. “However, it is important that everyone take this extremely seriously and follow CDC guidelines in order to avoid getting sick and mitigate the spread of this virus. We must continue to work together to emerge stronger as a country during these trying times.”
Diaz-Balart doesn’t know when he contracted COVID-19 or from whom, his office said. All the staff members present in his Washington office Friday have been told to self-isolate, but they are not being tested.
Diaz-Balart quickly notified congressional leadership, and his staff put out a statement within an hour of him learning he’d tested positive. A House Republican aide said Dr. Brian Monahan, the attending physician of Congress, is deeply involved in the response to Diaz-Balart’s positive test, just as he was when members of Congress attended the Conservative Political Action Conference last month where a VIP attendee tested positive.
Diaz-Balart could not immediately be reached.
Diaz-Balart is the second high-profile Miami politician to test positive for the coronavirus, after Miami Mayor Francis Suarez tested positive last week.
Other members of Congress, including Florida Sen. Rick Scott, have decided to self-quarantine after interacting with individuals who tested positive for the coronavirus. But Diaz-Balart is the first sitting member of the House or Senate to test positive.
McClatchy DC reporter Emma Dumain contributed to this report.
