Mitt Romney says he tested positive for COVID-19

Author: VICTORIA ALBERT / CBS News
Published:
FILE - In this May 21, 2019 file photo, Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, speaks to reporters after a classified members-only briefing on Iran, Capitol Hill in Washington. Romney’s ratcheted-up rhetoric on President Donald Trump is again raising hopes among Trump detractors that the senator could play a key role in the unfolding impeachment saga, though the historic shifts in their relationship mean Romney’s next move is an open question. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)
FILE – In this May 21, 2019 file photo, Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, speaks to reporters after a classified members-only briefing on Iran, Capitol Hill in Washington. Romney’s ratcheted-up rhetoric on President Donald Trump is again raising hopes among Trump detractors that the senator could play a key role in the unfolding impeachment saga, though the historic shifts in their relationship mean Romney’s next move is an open question. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)

Utah Senator Mitt Romney has tested positive for COVID-19, his office said in a statement Friday night. The 74-year-old Republican, who has been fully vaccinated and boosted, is asymptomatic.

The statement said Romney will isolate and work remotely until he is cleared to return. His wife, who is also fully vaccinated and boosted, has so far tested negative.

Romney joins dozens of other members of Congress who have tested positive for the virus despite being fully vaccinated. In recent weeks, lawmakers including Virginia Senator Mark Warner and Arizona Representative Raúl Grijalva have announced positive test results.

According to the CDC, while being vaccinated significantly lowers the chances of contracting COVID-19, breakthrough infections are still common. But research has shown that the vaccine significantly reduces a person’s chances of being hospitalized or dying from the virus.

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