Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky has tested positive for COVID-19, his office announced on Twitter on Sunday, adding that he is in quarantine and feels "fine".
The statement specified that Paul showed no syptoms of falling ill, adding that he was was tested out "of caution due to his extensive travel and events".
The senator intends to continue his work "for the people of Kentucky at this difficult time” once the quarantine period is over, according to the statement.
— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) March 22, 2020
The news broke as the US Senate is debating a multi-trillion-dollar aid package to help the US economy amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rand Paul has become the first US senator to be infected with the virus. It was earlier reported that two House representatives, Mario Diaz Balart of Florida and Ben McAdams of Utah, have tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
So far, Johns Hopkins University has confirmed 25,490 COVID-19 cases in the US, reporting 300 deaths and 171 recoveries.
Globally, some 318,200 people have been infected with the virus with more than 13,000 dying. Over 94,700 people, mostly from China have recovered.
