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Sen. Rick Scott under self-quarantine, potential contact with Brazilian delegation member with coronavirus

Posted at 1:43 PM, Mar 12, 2020
and last updated 2020-03-12 16:46:11-04

Florida Sen. Rick Scott said Thursday he will self-quarantine after potentially having contact with a Brazilian delegation member who tested positive for coronavirus this week. However, he said he is feeling healthy and not experiencing any symptoms as of this afternoon.

The former governor said in a written statement that he was alerted Thursday by the Brazilian Embassy that a member of President Jair Bolsonaro’s delegation had the virus.

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Scott said he met with Bolsonaro in Miami on Monday, and "while I do not believe I interacted with the infected person, that individual was in the same room as me."

The Brazilian Embassy said the infected person had no symptoms leading up to or the day of the conference.

The senator said after consulting with the U.S. Senate’s attending physician and his personal doctor, he was told that his risk of contracting coronavirus is low, and he didn't need to take a test or quarantine.

However, Scott said the "health and safety of the American people is my focus and I have made the decision to self-quarantine in an abundance of caution."