Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman tested positive for COVID-19, she announced Jan. 11.
Watson Coleman said she decided to take a rapid antigen test after the Jan. 6 insurrectionist riot carried out by supporters of President Donald Trump at the United States Capitol building, where she believes she was exposed to the virus. Many who stormed the building were not wearing masks—some of Watson Coleman’s congressional colleagues also refused to wear masks when they were placed as a group in a protective lockdown, she said.
“I received a positive test result for COVID-19, and am home resting at this time,” Watson Coleman said in a statement. “While I am experiencing mild, cold-like symptoms, I remain in good spirits and will continue to work on behalf of my constituents.”
Watson Coleman is currently isolation and awaiting the results of a PCR nasal swab test. Prior to diagnosis, she received the first dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.
The congresswoman has represented New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District since 2015. The district includes Ewing, the Hopewell Valley, Lawrence, Princeton, Trenton, West Windsor and Plainsboro, as well as portions of Middlesex, Union and Somerset counties.
