Mississippi legislators decided not to wear masks at the State Capitol, and now 26 legislators have tested positive for COVID-19, The Mississippi Clarion Ledger reports, via USA Today.
State Health Officer Thomas Dobbs told The Ledger that 36 people who work at the Capitol have tested positive for coronavirus, including 26 lawmakers. The figure means that about 1 in 6 legislators have contracted the disease.
Republicans have been hit in mass by the virus, with the leaders of both chambers — Speaker Philip Gunn (R) and Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann (R) among those who have tested positive.
Dobbs said that the Mississippi Health Department is actively monitoring the outbreak, noting that 290 people have been tested at the Capitol so far this week.
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The uptick in infections follows a month in which many legislators worked in the Capitol without following health guidelines recommending the use of face masks. Legislators convened in late June to advance an ultimately successful proposal to remove a Confederate symbol from the state flag.
