The Texas Democrats who fled their state to block the passage of a state election bill will no longer publish daily COVID-19 case counts.
The story: The spokeswoman for the Texas House Democrats, Cara Santucci, revealed on Monday that they will not stop releasing daily counts of coronavirus cases.
“We’re focusing on our daily testing, following and going beyond CDC guidelines, social distancing and wearing masks as much as possible. We’re just not going to release daily counts,” she told NBC News.
She previously said that members of the delegation would be tested on a daily basis, as well as their staffers who are currently in Washington D.C.
A sixth Texas House Democrat tested positive for COVID-19, Santucci confirmed. She said the member, whose identity was not revealed, is in self-quarantine.
Texas Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer (D) was the latest to confirm his positive test in a statement on Sunday. He said he tested negative both on Friday and Saturday and later tested positive through a rapid antigen test.
Fischer said he is fully vaccinated and that he is experiencing “extremely mild symptoms.”
On Saturday, the Texas House Democratic Caucus leadership confirmed that three unnamed members who left Texas for Washington tested positive for the coronavirus. All of them are believed to be fully vaccinated as well.
“The House Democratic Caucus is following all CDC guidance and protocols,” House Democratic Caucus Chairman Chris Turner said in a statement on Saturday. She said the positive cases serve as a “sober reminder that COVID is still with us, and though vaccinations offer tremendous protection, we still must take necessary precautions.”
Turner promised the caucus plans to follow “all recommendations from public health experts.”
How we got here: Around 50 Democratic lawmakers from Texas traveled to Washington D.C. to prevent Texas Republicans from passing election legislation that they say would make it difficult for people in the state to vote. The GOP argued that the bill would ensure election safety and integrity.
In D.C., the lawmakers met with Vice President Kamala Harris, who tested negative for the coronavirus.
Meanwhile, a White House official and a staffer for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) tested positive after attending an event in D.C. where the Texas lawmakers were present.
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