On Wednesday, Pennsylvania GOP state Rep. Andrew Lewis announced that he had tested positive for COVID-19 on May 20.
"Out of respect for my family, and those who I may have exposed, I chose to keep my positive case private. Now that I have fully recovered and completed the quarantine as required by the Department of Health," said Lewis. "I feel now is the appropriate time to share this information with the public and my constituents and I look forward to being a resource in sharing my experiences with COVID-19 and helping our community navigate this crisis together."
Some Democratic state lawmakers, however, are angry, because they were not informed about the positive test result when it happened.
There are four members of the @PAHouseGOP now on self-quarantine! They have been reckless and irresponsible through this entire pandemic!
— Austin Davis (@RepDavis35) May 27, 2020
We have colleagues who go home to their immuncompromised children, spouses, and elderly parents.
That Democrats who had contact with him were not notified is not just a political stunt - this is beyond the fkn pale!
— Summer Lee (@SummerForPA) May 27, 2020
In my opinion Speaker Turzai had an ethical responsibility to notify members and staff. He did not! Pa. lawmaker shares his positive diagnosis for COVID-19 https://t.co/oSFPcK7YqY pic.twitter.com/RE86DlXT2G
— Rep. Maureen Madden (@RepMadden) May 27, 2020
Lewis' positive test result did not come until a week after he left the state capitol, on May 14th. According to The Intercept's Ryan Grim, he received his positive test result the same day he attended his state's Reopen Rally.
As Pennsylvania Capital-Star reporter Stephen Caruso noted, some Republican lawmakers who came into contact with Lewis prior to the date he left, like Rep. Russ Diamond, are voluntarily quarantining themselves, and Health Secretary Rachel Levine is reportedly "talking to House Democrats right now in a virtual caucus to try and walk them through their potential exposure."
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