SC Rep. Joe Cunningham tests positive for coronavirus Joe Cunningham is the first member of Congress from South Carolina to test positive.
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Charleston congressman Joe Cunningham tests positive for the corona virus
A week after entering self-quarantine, the Charleston congressman confirmed he was sick, and that he became more concerned after experiencing the loss of his sense of taste and smell in recent days.Cunningham initially went into home quarantine after receiving word from the attending physician of the Congress that he had been in contact with a member who later tested positive for COVID-19.
His doctor instructed him to get tested for COVID-19, and following a virtual consultation on MUSC.care he went to a local testing clinic. The diagnosis was positive. While coronavirus testing is typically a multi-day process across South Carolina, because of his status, his test was expedited by the Medical University of South Carolina.
A spokeswoman for MUSC confirmed Cunningham received his test results sooner because he is a member of Congress. "Rep. Cunningham's role as part of the SC national congressional delegation qualified him for high-priority status testing, similar to what exists for health care workers and first responders," MUSC spokeswoman Heather Woolwine said in a statement to The Post and Courier. "This clinical decision was made in an effort to help Rep. Cunningham determine if it was safe for him to immediately return to Washington to participate in upcoming House floor votes. Cunningham said his symptoms have begun to improve but that he will remain at home until it is safe to leave self-quarantine," she added.
Just a few weeks ago, within hours of Bernie's victory in New Hampshire, this was Cunningham's stance:
Cunningham, one of only two Democratic congressmen from South Carolina, forcefully rebuked U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders on Wednesday, jolting the state's "First in the South" presidential primary race just hours after the Vermont senator won in New Hampshire.In a statement to The Post and Courier, the first-term congressman from Charleston said he does not plan on making an endorsement ahead of South Carolina's Feb. 29 primary but will "defend our Lowcountry values of opportunity, pragmatism and common sense." "South Carolinians don't want socialism," Cunningham said. "We want to know how you are going to get things done and how you are going to pay for them. Bernie's proposals to raise taxes on almost everyone is not something the Lowcountry wants and not something I'd ever support."
