After White House test, Pa. senator calls COVID-19 case mild
Associated PressHARRISBURG, Pa. — A Republican state lawmaker from Pennsylvania revealed Monday that he has COVID-19, confirming the positive test five days after he went to the White House to meet with President Donald Trump and went maskless at a packed public meeting to discuss efforts to overturn President-elect Joe Biden’s victory. Meanwhile, a Republican lawmaker who attended Wednesday’s public meeting in Gettysburg with Mastriano, Sen. Judy Ward, revealed that she also has tested positive. Mastriano, who has led rallies against mask-wearing and other pandemic mitigation efforts, said in the video that after interacting with large numbers of people this year, “finally eight months in, and 20,000 people in, I do get it.” Mastriano said he wanted to “dispel any rumors and get to the bottom of it,” and suggested he contracted the virus in a “basement suite that lacked air circulation” where two other people in the room later tested positive. Mastriano said contact tracing has been performed, but provided no details, and a Senate GOP spokesperson would only say the “Senate continues to adhere to the COVID-19 mitigation policy which was adopted in the spring.” Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa, D-Allegheny, criticized the meeting as irresponsible.