Ten COVID-19 cases confirmed in the Tennessee legislature
The House of Representatives chamber in the Tennessee State Capitol.
(The Center Square) – Ten Tennessee legislators or legislative staffers have tested positive for COVID-19, Connie Ridley, director of Legislative Administration, confirmed Monday.
The first cases were reported in the legislature earlier this month.
While the identities of those with the virus are not public, due to federal privacy laws, Rep. Kent Calfee, R-Kingston, identified himself on social media having been diagnosed.
According to his wife, Calfee is beginning to recover.
“First let me thank our almighty God for bringing us through this,” Marilyn Calfee tweeted Saturday. “Kent has finally turned the corner and is doing much better. Thank you for all the well wishes, prayers, cards, texts, calls, emails; it’s such a blessing to know we have you in our lives.”
Gov. Bill Lee is expected to call a special legislative session sometime next month for the legislature to take up the issue of liability protections for businesses and schools.
The Tennessee Department of Health reported 2,553 new cases Monday, with an 8.9 percent test positivity rate. The department also reported 48 new hospitalizations, 11 new deaths, and 2,509 recovered cases on Monday.
Tennessee is not the only state to experience a COVID-19 outbreak in its legislature. The Associated Press reported that 30 Mississippi state lawmakers and 11 legislative employees have contracted the virus.
