Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL) today became the first member of Congress to announce that he has tested positive for coronavirus, saying he had been stricken with a fever and headache this weekend.
The virus has already affected others on Capitol Hill, which remains closed to visitors.
Two congressional staffers have been infected by the virus, and some prominent politicians have self-quarantined at both the state and federal levels.
“In an abundance of caution, after votes on Friday, March 13th, Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart decided to self-quarantine in Washington, D.C, and not return to South Florida because of his wife Tia’s pre-existing conditions that put her at exceptionally high risk,” his office said in a statement. “On Saturday evening, Congressman Diaz-Balart developed symptoms, including a fever and a headache. Just a short while ago, he was notified that he has tested positive for COVID-19. While in quarantine Diaz-Balart has been working from his apartment in Washington, D.C.”
Diaz-Balart, 58, added that it’s “important that everyone take this extremely seriously and follow CDC guidelines in order to avoid getting sick and mitigate the spread of this virus.”
Meanwhile, the New York Stock Exchange said today it will temporarily close its historic trading floor and move fully to electronic trading after two people tested positive for coronavirus infection at screenings it had set up this week.
All-electronic trading will begin on March 23 at the open, the exchange said.
The facilities to be closed are the NYSE equities trading floor and NYSE American Options trading floor in New York, and NYSE Arca Options trading floor in San Francisco.
The closure was in part as a result of positive coronavirus tests of two people, said Stacey Cunningham, President of the NYSE.
The entrants were stopped at the medical screenings at the Big Board.
The stock market has closed at times over the years, such as during World War II and in the wake of 9/11, but this is the first time the physical trading floor of the Big Board has ever shut independently while electronic trading continues.
“We implemented a number a number of safety precautions over the past couple of weeks, and starting on Monday this week we started pre-emptive testing of employees and screening of anyone who came into the building,” Cunningham said on “Closing Bell.” “If that screening warranted additional testing, we tested people and they were sent home and not given access to the building. A couple of those test cases have come back positive.”