ATLANTA (AP) — The Republican majority leader of Georgia's state Senate announced Tuesday that he tested positive for COVID-19 during mandatory testing at the state Capitol.
Sen. Mike Dugan, whose district includes Carroll, Douglas and Paulding counties, said in a statement that he was experiencing “minor” symptoms and would isolate at home.
Dugan said he received the positive result Tuesday morning, the second day of Georgia's legislative session. “I had results prior (to) noticing any real symptoms,” Dugan said.
Both chambers of the state legislature are requiring members and staff to take twice-weekly saliva tests to try to slow the spread of the virus. Both chambers also require face masks.
The mask requirement is a new policy in the state Senate, which made mask wearing optional during the final days of last year's session — despite having several members sickened by COVID-19 in March.
House Speaker David Ralston said Monday that multiple members of the state House are currently out because of COVID-19 as well.
Dugan was at the state Capitol on Monday during the opening day of the legislative session. He also attended a watch party last Tuesday for Georgia's two Republican U.S. Senate candidates, Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, who lost their bids to Democrats Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff.
