U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, D-3rd Dist., recently decided to self-quarantine after having contact with a member of Congress who later tested positive for the COVID-19 coronavirus.
Rep. Davids, who doesn’t have any symptoms currently, has issued a statement:
“Last week, I had contact with a fellow member of Congress who recently tested positive for COVID-19. In following the guidance I received from the Attending Physician of Congress, and out of an abundance of caution, I will stay home and self-quarantine until March 26.
“I’m thankfully feeling well and have had not experienced any symptoms. The Attending Physician said that I’m at very low risk for contracting COVID-19, as are the people I’ve interacted with recently. But as I’ve said before, we all have a role to play in reducing the spread of this virus, and that means self-quarantining when appropriate.
“In the meantime, I will be teleworking from home and continuing to serve the people of Kansas’ Third District as we respond to this public health crisis. I remain committed to working with our public health officials at all levels of government to keep our community prepared and safe. I urge everyone to follow CDC and local public health guidelines, including practicing good hygiene and social distancing, as we work through this challenge together.”
Last week, Rep. Davids announced operational changes to her offices to protect staff and constituents, which included staff teleworking from home.
On March 16, Rep. Davids made a transition to an all-telework operation in her Washington, D.C., Overland Park and Kansas City, Kansas, offices, until further notice, because of COVID-19.
The offices’ physical locations are temporarily closed, but services will still be provided through telephone and email.
Services will include:
• “Receiving and responding to telephone calls. If you need to speak to a member of our team, you can call my Washington, D.C. office at 202-225-2865, my Overland Park office at 913-621-0832, or my Kansas City office at 913-766-3993.
• “Helping you navigate the federal government. If you are having issues such as stalled tax refunds or difficulty accessing Veteran’s benefits, we may be able to help. You can call my Overland Park office at 913-621-0832 or my Kansas City office at 913-766-3993 for assistance.
• “Responding to your concerns. The best way to contact our office is via phone or email. You can email us at https://davids.house.gov/contact/email-me.
• “Scheduling and taking meetings. If you would like to request a meeting with me or a member of my team, you can submit a meeting request at https://davids.house.gov/contact/request-an-appearance. Please note, as long as our teleworking policy is in place, we will conduct meetings via phone or video conference rather than in person.”