- Capitol Hill does not have the capacity to test all 100 senators for coronavirus, and tests results would take days to come back, several outlets reported.
- The Senate is supposed to reconvene on Monday.
- Testing will be prioritized for those who are sick or have symptoms.
- About half of the senate is over 65 years old and therefore more at risk of a severe case of coronavirus.
- The White House has access to rapid testing, and those who meet with President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence are regularly tested.
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While the White House is able to test anyone meeting with President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence for the coronavirus and get quick results, Congress' doctor has said there are only enough tests for the senators who are sick or have symptoms, Politico reported.
Brian Monahan, Congress' attending physician, who The New York Times described as "a strait-laced Navy rear admiral," said there were not enough tests for all 100 senators, and they didn't have access to the rapid results tests, as the White House does, meaning results will take a few days.
Monahan made the remarks during a meeting with top Republican officials on Thursday, Axios reported.
Sources familiar with the call told Axios that Monahan said tests could take as many as seven business days to come back, and senators would have to isolate or quarantine until they got the result.
The Senate will reconvene on Monday, with as many as all 100 senators coming back to Capitol Hill from all across the country. They won't be able to be proactively tested to ensure no one is asymptomatic and still able to spread the virus.
According to Politico, around half of the members of the Senate are older than 65, making them a demographic that's more at risk for severe cases of COVID-19 if infected.
Axios reported that Monahan said he was unable to offer the high-speed testing "due to the lack of supply of the high-speed tests used for people visiting with the president."
"We don't have the capability to do a large-scale test," Monahan told the staff, per the sources, according to Axios.
House Democrats decided not to return next week after meeting with Monahan, but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said proper distancing and masks would make it safe for the Senate to return to work, Politico reported. Monahan did not say whether he thought it was safe for the Senate to resume on Monday, according to reports.
According to Axios, Monahan said he'd look into seeing if the White House had additional tests that could be used for older members of the Senate like Sens. Dianne Feinstein, Richard Shelby, and Lamar Alexander after some members asked.
Some Democrats are concerned about the safety of returning and some have suggested they won't return if the Senate will not be addressing coronavirus related legislation, Politico reported. According to the outlet, "McConnell is focused on confirming judicial and executive nominees in the coming days."
"I have not yet seen, personally … a safety plan to protect those people who have to come back to the Capitol in order for us to do anything. Nor a plan to make sure that we are not spreading the virus ourselves or to the employees," Sen. Patty Murray of Washington state said on Wednesday.
A staffer familiar with the call told Axios: "This so-called safety plan is literally a house of cards. So much has to go right in order for one thing not to bring it all down."
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