‘LESS FINGER-POINTING’

Rand Paul Defends Not Self-Quarantining While Awaiting Coronavirus Test Results

The senator insisted he would still be walking around Capitol Hill if “rules on testing had been followed to a tee[.]”

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) went on the defensive against critics who have blasted him for not undergoing self-quarantine before testing positive for the coronavirus, stating that he would still be out and about if he had not sought out testing himself. “For those who want to criticize me for lack of quarantine, realize that if the rules on testing had been followed to a tee, I would never have been tested and would still be walking around the halls of the Capitol,” he wrote in a statement. Paul said he got a test—despite being asymptomatic—due to his extensive travel schedule and his damaged lung, which puts him at a “higher risk for serious complications.” The senator also said he believed his exposure risk was no higher than that of other lawmakers, considering he had no close contact with a positive case. He called for more “broader” testing for the thousands who are seeking it, writing that it made “no sense” that symptomatic individuals were being denied testing. “The broader the testing and the less finger-pointing we have, the better,” he said.