In light of last week’s Advocate conference, the National Apartment Association (NAA) is closely following developments surrounding COVID-19, commonly referred to as coronavirus, on Capitol Hill. To date, two members of the U.S. House of Representatives have tested positive for COVID-19. Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) and Ben McAdams (D-Utah) tested positive earlier this week and are following self-quarantine procedures. Several other offices, currently including Sens. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash. and Rep. David Schweikert (R-Ariz.), have reported that a staff member(s) has tested positive or been exposed and are following similar procedures.
It is likely that more staff and members of Congress will test positive for the virus. NAA is notifying our Advocate attendees of currently known COVID-19 cases on Capitol Hill out of an abundance of caution, however things are moving so quickly we will not provide updates for each positive case of coronavirus on Capitol Hill. Testing and positive test results are frequently emerging and, as such, we advise all attendees to follow local news reports and monitor the status of congressional offices that held meetings during Advocate.
If you believe that you were in contact with a congressional office impacted by coronavirus, please take appropriate precautions. We urge our individual members – whether in attendance or not – to follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and state and local health departments for social distancing, self-quarantining and lock-downs. If you develop symptoms, please seek proper medical attention and refer to the CDC for information on how to proceed.
We appreciate your efforts last week advocating on behalf of the apartment industry. Please stay safe during these challenging times.