House

Two more House reps test positive for breakthrough COVID-19 cases

by Brad Dress - 01/08/22 8:26 PM ET

Reps. Sean Casten (D-Ill.) and Young Kim (R-Calif.) said on Saturday that they had tested positive for breakthrough cases of COVID-19, adding to a growing list of lawmakers who have contracted the virus amid the latest wave of the pandemic.

Casten announced that he had tested positive on Twitter, saying that he is fully vaccinated and boosted. So far, the 50-year-old lawmaker is reporting only mild symptoms, he said in a statement.

“I’m grateful for the miraculous work of our scientists and health care workers — and encourage everyone to get vaccinated, boosted, and mask up,” he wrote.

Today, I tested positive for COVID-19. Thanks to the vaccine, I am fortunate to have only mild symptoms.

My full statement: pic.twitter.com/IgwH7qlMsd

— Rep. Sean Casten (@RepCasten) January 8, 2022

And the 59-year-old Kim, who said she is also fully vaccinated and boosted, tweeted on Saturday night that she “tested positive for COVID-19 and will be proxy voting as I monitor my symptoms.”

“My team and I are continuing to work around the clock to serve #CA39 and I look forward to returning to work in person soon,” she said.

I just tested positive for COVID-19 and will be proxy voting as I monitor my symptoms. I am feeling fine and am grateful to be vaccinated and boosted. My team and I are continuing to work around the clock to serve #CA39 and I look forward to returning to work in person soon.

— Young Kim (@RepYoungKim) January 9, 2022

Casten and Kim join a growing list of politicians testing positive for COVID-19 despite being vaccinated since the omicron variant, which early studies have shown resists immunization gained from the vaccine more than past strains of the virus, was first detected in the U.S. in early December.

Updated at 11:01 p.m.

Tags breakthrough COVID-19 cases Chicago COVID-19 Sean Casten Young Kim