Sen. Ted Cruz, Rep. Paul Gosar are self-quarantining after interacting with person who tested positive for coronavirus at CPAC

WASHINGTON — Sen. Ted Cruz and Rep. Paul Gosar on Sunday said they would self-quarantine after interacting with a person at a conservative conference who has tested positive for the coronavirus — making the pair the first known members of Congress to have possibly come into contact with the rapidly spreading virus.

Cruz, an outspoken Republican who ran for president in 2016, said the interaction happened at the Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Maryland. The Texas Republican said in a statement that he shook hands with the individual and had a brief conversation.

“I am not experiencing any symptoms and I feel fine and healthy,” Cruz said, explaining that the interaction lasted “less than a minute” and medical professionals he’s consulted have told him the “odds of transmission from the other individual to me were extremely low.

Gosar, an Arizona Republican, said he was with the “individual for an extended period of time, and we shook hands several times.” He said while he was not experiencing any symptoms, he along with three senior members of his office staff would be self-quarantining themselves.

Gosar said he would also close his Washington office “out of an abundance of caution.”

Cruz, in his statement, said physicians have advised that others who he’s interacted with “should not be concerned about potential transmission.” But, Cruz added, he notified Vice President Mike Pence, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and the president’s new Chief of Staff Rep. Mark Meadows, high profile figures who also attended the annual conference.

Cruz said out of an abundance of caution he would also quartine and planned to stay home in Texas until a full 14 days have passed since the interaction. The conference ran from Feb. 26-29.

On Saturday, the American Conservative Union announced in a statement that one of the attendees at CPAC had tested positive for COVID-19. Trump and Pence both spoke at the event.