Washington (CNN)Republican Rep. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania has tested positive for Covid-19, his office announced Tuesday, a day after he was elected chair of the conservative House Freedom Caucus.
Perry’s office said in a statement announcing his diagnosis that the congressman, who has not publicly indicated whether he has been vaccinated against the virus, is experiencing “quite mild” symptoms and he “will continue working while quarantining at home.”
Perry wrote in a Facebook post in September: “Folks, if you want the vaccine, by all means, get the vaccine. But if you don’t want the vaccine, you shouldn’t have to worry about being forced or fired.”
Perry is among dozens of House members who have tested positive for the virus since the pandemic took hold in the US, with at least 10 members testing positive since early August.
On Monday, the hard-line House Freedom Caucus elected Perry as its next chair.
A noted ally of former President Donald Trump, Perry has come under scrutiny for his role in seeking to overturn the 2020 presidential election, and his interactions related to those efforts could be of keen interest to the House select committee investigating the January 6 Capitol insurrection.
Source: here