Colorado Democrat tests positive for COVID-19 after trip to Ukraine

Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.) said on Sunday that he tested positive for COVID-19 after returning from a trip to Ukraine, becoming the third congressional lawmaker to announce a breakthrough infection in one day.

Crow said he tested positive after returning from an official delegation visit to Ukraine. He is fully vaccinated, received a booster dose and is experiencing mild symptoms.

“I just returned from an official congressional delegation visit to Ukraine and tested positive for a breakthrough COVID infection,” Crow wrote in a tweet Sunday night. “I’m thankful to be fully vaccinated and boosted and experiencing only mild symptoms (the vaccine is safe and effective).”

The congressman encouraged individuals to get vaccinated and receive their booster shots “to help prevent major illness and protect our community.” He said he will continue to advocate for affordable access to rapid and reliable testing for all Americans.

Everyone eligible should get vaccinated and boosted to help prevent major illness and protect our community.

I’ll continue to push for affordable access to rapid, reliable testing for all Americans.https://t.co/5VqRRGmgmH

— Rep. Jason Crow (@RepJasonCrow) December 20, 2021

Hours before Crow announced his diagnosis, Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) revealed that they tested positive for COVID-19 breakthrough cases.

Warren said she tested positive on Sunday, noting that she “regularly test[s] for COVID.” She said she is experiencing mild symptoms, crediting the vaccine and booster shot for protecting her against serious illness.

Booker said he tested positive on Sunday after experiencing mild symptoms the day before. At the time of his announcement he said his symptoms were “relatively mild.”

He said that without a full vaccination series and booster shot he is “certain” he “would be doing much worse.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that while COVID-19 breakthrough cases are expected, fully vaccinated people who become ill with the virus tend to have less severe symptoms compared to individuals who have not yet received the shot.

The three congressional breakthrough cases come amid a spike of cases nationwide, driven largely by the highly mutated omicron variant.