Lawmakers warned of possible coronavirus exposure during riot

“The time in this room was for some several hours and shorter for others,” Monahan said. “During this time, individuals may have been exposed to another occupant with a coronavirus infection.”

Several Republicans were seen without masks while in the crowded room, despite being offered extra by the Democrats. Masks have sometimes been a point of contention among lawmakers over the past few weeks.

Monahan did not say how many lawmakers were in the chamber, but called on lawmakers to continue daily to reduce coronavirus risk measures, including wearing a mask and practicing social distance.

On Friday. Robert Redifield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, warned that the riots on Wednesday were likely to have significant consequences in terms of the pandemic. “You have to anticipate that this is another boom,” he told McClatchy. ‘You have largely unmasked non-distributed individuals who have been throughout the Capitol,’