COVID-19 infections soar in Congress amid Omicron surge

By Reuters Posted on January 3, 2022

Snow falls during a winter storm on Capitol Hill, in Washington

A bicyclist rides along the East Front Plaza during a snow storm on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., January 3, 2022. REUTERS/Tom Brenner

WASHINGTON – Congress is experiencing an unprecedented rise in COVID-19 cases, with the seven-day positivity rate at a congressional test site surging to 13% from just 1% in late November, the Capitol’s attending physician said on Monday.

Most coronavirus infections on Capitol Hill have been occurring among the vaccinated, with the Omicron variant representing about 61% and the Delta variant 38%, based on a limited sample as of Dec. 15, Dr. Brian Monahan told lawmakers and staff in a Jan. 3 letter.