New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has tested positive for COVID-19, her office announced on Sunday. The congresswoman was recently seen vacationing in Miami, Florida for the New Year’s holiday.
“Representative Ocasio-Cortez has received a positive test result for COVID-19,” a statement posted to her Twitter account reads. “She is experiencing symptoms and recovering at home. The Congresswoman received her booster shot this Fall, and encourages everyone to get their booster and follow all CDC guidance.”
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The United States is currently experiencing a massive surge of COVID-19 cases linked to the Omicron variant.
While the Omicron variant does not initially seem as deadly as other variants of COVID-19, Rochelle Walensky, the director of the CDC, recently explained on Fox News why higher rates of transmission could result in rising death rates.
“We are starting to see data from other countries that indicate on a person-by-person basis it may not be,” Walensky explained. “However, given the volume of cases that we’re seeing with Omicron, we very well may see death rates rise dramatically.”
They added: “Right now, I think the most important thing to do is to protect Americans. We do that by getting them vaccinated and getting them boosted.”
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