North Texas Congressman Colin Allred Tests Positive For COVID-19 After European Trip
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM/AP) — U.S. Rep. Colin Allred tested positive for COVID-19 Sunday after returning to his home in Dallas from an overseas trip with a congressional delegation.
Allred had been traveling with 10 other members of Congress in Europe on a trip that included a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The 38-year-old Democrat said in a statement that he tested negative for the virus before boarding a flight back to Texas and again after landing, before testing positive Sunday.
Allred, a former Obama administration lawyer and NFL linebacker, said he is experiencing mild symptoms from the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. He said he is fully vaccinated and has received a booster shot.
Allred said that he and the other members of Congress he was traveling with were tested throughout the trip, including before their meeting with Zelenskyy.
In a statement Allred said, in part --
"I feel well and I will be following guidelines from the CDC and House Attending Physician to quarantine and keep others safe. Despite this diagnosis, this was still a vitally important trip, where my colleagues and I heard directly from NATO, EU and Ukrainian officials about the threat of Russian aggression."
(© Copyright 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)