American lawmaker, Senator Randal Howard Paul, has announced Sunday that he has tested positive for COVID-19 otherwise known as coronavirus.
The lawmaker had earlier downplayed the disease and was the only Senator to vote against an $8.3 billion emergency Coronavirus package last month.
“He is feeling fine and is in quarantine,” an announcement on his Twitter said.
“He is asymptomatic and was tested out of an abundance of caution due to his extensive travel and events.
“He expects to be back in the Senate after his quarantine period ends and will continue to work for the people of Kentucky at this difficult time.”
Paul, who is a physician and has a Kentucky-issued medical license, was also one of the eight senators who voted against paid sick leave in a stimulus bill that passed with an overwhelming 90-8 vote last week.
“I think that the paid sick leave is an incentive for businesses to actually let go employees and will make unemployment worse,” Paul had told Newsweek.
He is the first senator to test positive for the novel coronavirus.
