Silicon Valley Congresswoman Under Self-Quarantine After Possible Coronavirus Exposure

Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Palo Alto) announced today that she’s going under quarantine to err on the safe side after one of her staffers tested positive for the coronavirus.

The Silicon Valley lawmaker said she learned about the employee’s infection on Wednesday. On the advice of the Office of the Attending Physician, which provides medical care for members of Congress, and guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, Eshoo said she will hunker down to prevent further transmission of the virus.

However, she added, she’s “not currently showing any symptoms.”

At least 44 members of Congress have tested positive for Covid-19 to date, according to USA Today, which has been updating the tally on a daily basis since the pandemic began.

The only two California lawmakers on that list are Republicans Devin Nunes and Ken Calvert, who both reported testing positive this month, and Democrat Salud Carbajal, who announced his infection in early October.

By the latest count, the number of Covid-19 cases in the U.S. has surpassed 17.3 million while the death toll topped 311,000, with nearly 3,300 new fatalities in just the past day. Nearly 1.7 million coronavirus deaths have been recorded worldwide.

Santa Clara County, Eshoo’s home district, is reporting 52,414 cases and 567 deaths.

Jennifer Wadsworth is the former news editor for San Jose Inside and Metro Silicon Valley. Follow her on Twitter at @jennwadsworth.

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