Report: More Than 120 Capitol Hill Frontline Workers Have Had Covid-19

Topline

More than 120 Capitol Hill frontline workers have had Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic, a spokeswoman for the Republican members of the House Administration Committee told Roll Call, as the number of cases in Washington, D.C. continues to grow.

Unlike staffers and lawmakers these frontline individuals are unable to work from home.

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Key Facts

Ashley Phelps told Roll Call that there have been 20 new Covid-19 cases since Aug. 28.

There is not currently a comprehensive testing and contact tracing policy for everyone who enters Capitol Hill, despite calls from staffers and lawmakers.

The 123 frontline workers who have tested positive or are presumed positive include 46 Capitol Police, 42 Architect of the Capitol employees who preserve the buildings and grounds and 35 contractors working on the Cannon Building renovation project.

Unlike staffers and lawmakers, these individuals are unable to work from home.

Lawmakers and staffers have also gotten sick, including Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) who all tested positive last week.

Further Background

Though many of the reported cases on Capitol Hill happened before the White House outbreak, Tillis and Lee were both at the Sept. 26 Rose Garden event celebrating Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination to the Supreme Court. At least 13 people who attended have tested positive, including Tillis and Lee. Nearly two dozen people who work at the White House have tested positive, including senior White House advisors, members of the press office, housekeepers and active-duty military personnel as well as President Trump and first lady Melania Trump.

What We Don’t Know

After the announcement Trump tested positive for coronavirus, a number of family members and government officials have disclosed negative test results, however, that doesn’t mean they’re in the clear. Dr. Matt Binnicker, director of clinical virology at the Mayo Clinic, told Forbes he recommends people wait five to seven days from exposure until getting tested, as this waiting period “increases the likelihood that the test will be positive if they’ve truly been infected.”

Big Number

15,652. That is how many confirmed Covid-19 cases there have been in D.C. since the start of the pandemic, according to Johns Hopkins data. There were 105 new cases on Tuesday and 352 in the past week. The number of D.C. cases may not show the true impact of the outbreak because many government employees commute from Maryland or Virginia and may be tested there.

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