Second US congressional staffer tests positive for COVID-19

WASHINGTON - A staff member in US House Representative David Schweikert's Washington D.C. office has tested positive for COVID-19, US political news website The Hill said Sunday.

The staff member is resting "comfortably at home and following guidance from local health officials," Schweikert said in a statement.

The congressman said his Washington D.C. office will be closed with staff members working remotely until further notice.

On Wednesday, Senator Maria Cantwell said a member of her D.C. office tested positive for coronavirus. Her announcement marked the first known instance of a congressional staffer getting the virus.

Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced restrictions on restaurants and bars on Sunday, capping gatherings at such places to no more than 250 people and suspending bar seating and service to standing patrons. She already declared a state of emergency in the capital on Wednesday.

A total of 16 COVID-19 cases were confirmed in Washington D.C. as of Saturday, according to the report.