![U.S. Representative Jahana Hayes. [Image via United States Congress - Wikimedia Commons]](https://staticr1.blastingcdn.com/media/photogallery/2020/9/21/660x290/b_502x220x82/us-representative-jahana-hayes-image-via-united-states-congress-wikimedia-commons_2518482.jpg "U.S. Representative Jahana Hayes. [Image via United States Congress - Wikimedia Commons]")
Among the high-profile individuals who've publicly confirmed they've tested positive for COVID-19 are several members of Congress. The disease has been contracted by Republicans and Democrats alike.
The novel Coronavirus has also found members of both Houses of the U.S. Congress. Four members of the Senate have publicly acknowledged a diagnosis. Evenly split between the two parties. But there have been many more cases among members of the House of Representatives.
Jahana Hayes announces that she caught the novel coronavirus
U.S. Representative Jahan Hayes of Connecticut has tested positive for COVID-19.
According to MSN, Hayes has been experiencing respiratory issues. She is expected to go into quarantine for at least two weeks.
Hayes' announcement comes shortly after news broke that one of her staff members had tested positive. The staff member had been in close contact with Hayes, according to WFSB. All other members of Hayes' staff have reportedly been instructed to go into quarantine.
Representative Hayes' offices had only just recently started to gradually re-open. Both Hayes and the staffer who tested positive were in her offices in recent days. In both Connecticut and Washington, D.C.. Until further notice, the Congresswoman and her staff will be operating in a remote capacity.
In the House of Representatives, there are strict rules about things such as wearing masks.
In the Senate, it's less strict. But most U.S. senators have been seen regularly wearing facial coverings in public.
Hayes has used her positive test result to spotlight COVID-19 testing. Or perhaps more accurately, the lack thereof. According to Hayes, members of Congress are not tested on a regular basis. She also said it took her three attempts with different urgent care centers to be able to get tested.
Even though she was known to have been in close proximity with at least one person who had tested positive.
Hayes is a former schoolteacher
Jahana Hayes joined the U.S. House of Representatives in 2019. Her seat comes from the 5th Congressional District of Connecticut. The district includes the northwest and central parts of Connecticut.
Hayes received an associate degree from Naugatuck Valley Community College in her native Waterbury, Connecticut. Afterward, she graduated from Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven with a bachelor's degree. Later, she received a master's degree from the University of Saint Joseph in West Harford, Connecticut. She has also obtained a Sixth-Year Certificate from the School of Education of the University of Bridgeport.
In 2016, Hayes was named Teacher of the Year in Connecticut. She'd been teaching at a school in Waterbury. After the recognition, she received a great deal of media coverage. Including, but not limited to, an appearance on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show".
