Chief Of Staff For Illinois House Speaker Welch Tests Positive For COVID-19; Lawmakers And Staff Urged To Self-Isolate
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The chief of staff to newly-elected Illinois House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch tested positive for COVID-19 while lawmakers were in Springfield this week for the lame duck session and the inauguration of the new Illinois General Assembly.
In a letter to all Illinois House members staff, Jessica Basham, who was also chief of staff for former Speaker Michael Madigan, said she was tested daily while in Springfield, and received a positive test result on Thursday. She said two other people who were at the Bank of Springfield Center, where the House was in session, also have tested positive.
Basham said she had no symptoms Thursday morning, but started showing mild symptoms Thursday evening, and is now quarantining at home.
Lawmakers, House staff, and others who were at the Bank of Springfield Center on Thursday have been advised to self-isolate for 14 days.
Separately, Illinois Senate President Don Harmon's office on Thursday notified people who visited the Capitol complex between Saturday and Thursday that they should self-quarantine and get tested, after there was a positive test there.
Gov. JB Pritzker was at the capitol this week and was scheduled to hold a COVID-19 briefing at the Thompson Center in Chicago on Friday, but later decided to hold it virtually "out of an abundance of caution."
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