Sen. Kelly Loeffler has tested negative for Covid-19 after two of her staffers tested positive, and the Georgia Republican plans to attend the vote on Monday to confirm President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett.
Loeffler’s office released a statement on Saturday saying, “On Friday, Senator Loeffler was tested for COVID-19 after learning that two of her DC Senate staffers had tested positive. Senator Loeffler tested negative.”
The statement went on to say, “Senator Loeffler is more energized than ever to vote to confirm Amy Coney Barrett as the next Supreme Court Justice on Monday before returning home and traveling the state to meet with hardworking Georgians.”
Loeffler tweeted Monday that the President “could not have chosen a more qualified, impressive jurist, and I will be honored to vote to confirm her as the next United States Supreme Court justice today.”
According to the CDC, individuals should quarantine if they have been in “close contact” with another person who has Covid-19, a term that the CDC defines by a set of criteria, including if a person was “within 6 feet of someone who has COVID-19 for a total of 15 minutes or more.”
Covid-19 symptoms may develop between 2-14 days after an individual is exposed, according to the CDC.
Asked Sunday if she had “close contact” with her aides who tested positive for coronavirus, Loeffler responded, “Not at all.” She did not provide any further details or specify what she meant by close contact.
The news comes as Senate Democrats have warned against the possibility of Vice President Mike Pence presiding over the final vote after at least five people in Pence’s orbit have tested positive for coronavirus in recent days.
Pence is no longer expected to preside over the Senate’s vote to confirm Barrett to the Supreme Court amid a Coronavirus outbreak on his team.
“Vice President Pence is campaigning in Minnesota today. The VP is not planning to be at the Senate tonight unless his vote is needed,” an aide to the Vice President said.
Pence and second lady Karen Pence were both tested for Covid-19 Monday morning, according to Pence’s office. Both tested negative.
CNN’s Sarah Westwood, Kaitlan Collins and Noah Broder contributed to this report.
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