Florida Republican Senator Rick Scott, the former hospital network CEO who ran the company while it was conducting the biggest Medicare fraud scheme in history, tested positive for the coronavirus earlier this week, the Associated Press reports.
The 67-year-old Scott is experiencing mild symptoms. Scott was tested Tuesday but reportedly just received the test results Friday morning. He’s the eighth member of Congress to test positive this week.
“I want to remind everyone to be careful and do the right things to protect yourselves and others,” Scott said in a statement, backtracking on Republican positions as is common when a Republican gets impacted by something they once mocked. “Wear a mask. Social distance. Quarantine if you come in contact with someone positive like I did. As we approach Thanksgiving, we know this holiday will be different this year. But, listen to public health officials and follow their guidance.”
Earlier this week, Democratic Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown requested Alaska’s Republican Senator Dan Sullivan to wear a mask while presiding over a session of the Senate. Sullivan refused.