Alexander under self-quarantine after staffer tests positive

By Manuel Quiñones | 05/11/2020 07:16 AM EDT

An aide for Tennessee Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander has tested positive for COVID-19, the senator’s chief of staff said in a statement last night.

An aide for Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) has tested positive for COVID-19.

An aide for Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) has tested positive for COVID-19. Alexander/Facebook

An aide for Tennessee Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander has tested positive for COVID-19, the senator’s chief of staff said in a statement last night.

David Cleary said the affected staffer was at home recovering. The senator, after consulting with the Capitol attending physician, will stay home this week and conduct business remotely.

"Almost all of the senator’s Washington, D.C., staff are working from home, and there is no need for any other staff member to self-quarantine," said Cleary.

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Alexander will still chair a hearing tomorrow of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee with witnesses including Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; Stephen Hahn, Food and Drug Administration commissioner; and Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

All three officials are in some form of quarantine or self-isolation after coming in contact with someone affected by the novel coronavirus. Much of the hearing will happen via videoconference.