Attorney General William Barr will be tested for coronavirus one day after he came into close contact with a GOP lawmaker who since tested positive for the virus, a Justice Department spokeswoman confirmed.
Barr, who testified on Capitol Hill Tuesday before the House Judiciary Committee, came within close range of Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) shortly before he entered an auditorium in the Capitol where the hearing took place.
While Barr had arrived wearing a mask, he walked into the hearing room without one, during which time he came into contact with Gohmert, who also was not wearing a mask. The two exchanged a comment or two before Gohmert and Barr parted ways.
Congressional aides confirmed to The Hill that Gohmert, who has declined to wear a mask in the Capitol except when mandated for hearings, has tested positive for COVID-19.
Justice Department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said Barr will be tested on Wednesday, one day after the encounter.
"The Attorney General will be tested today," Kupec said in a statement.
Still, health experts advise waiting a few days after exposure to get tested, to help avoid the risk of getting a false negative.
