Coronavirus Pandemic

U.S. Capitol Sees Spike in COVID-19 Cases Among Lawmakers, Staff and Press

The spike is consistent with rising cases across the nation

A winter storm delivers heavy snow to the Capitol in Washington, Monday, Jan. 3, 2022.
AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

The U.S. Capitol has been ravaged by COVID-19 in recent weeks, with the onsite testing center’s 7-day positivity rate jumping from 1 percent to greater than 13 percent, according to the Office of the Attending Physician.

“The coronavirus omicron variant of the SARS CoV2 coronavirus accounts for most coronavirus cases at the Capitol and elsewhere in the United States,” said Brian Monahan, the attending physician of the Capitol, in a letter obtained by NBC News.

The spike is consistent with rising cases across the nation.

The Capitol offers regular testing for lawmakers, congressional staff and the journalists who work there.

The FDA expanded COVID-19 booster eligibility on Monday for children as young as 12. The CDC must still decide whether to recommend a third dose for the younger teens before they are available.

For more on this story, go to NBC News.

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