At least two more Idaho lawmakers tested positive for COVID-19 during the first week of the 2022 legislative session.
Senate President Pro Tem Chuck Winder, R-Boise, told the Idaho Statesman by phone Monday morning that he is isolating at home after receiving a positive test result last week. Winder said he has mild symptoms but was asymptomatic when he tested on Thursday. Republican Rep. James Holtzclaw of Meridian also said Monday that he tested positive for COVID-19 last week, Idaho Press reported.
Two Boise Democrats, Rep. John Gannon and Sen. Janie Ward-Engelking, announced in a news release that they tested positive after the first few days of the session.
Winder is among the majority of lawmakers who do not wear face coverings at the Capitol. Winder said he has worn masks “from time to time.” The Legislature has no requirements around mask wearing or COVID-19 testing. Optional testing is coordinated by the Legislative Services Office and administered by a Boise State University lab. But the Legislative Services Office doesn’t track the number of positive tests, and it’s up to lawmakers to disclose whether they’ve tested positive, according to LSO Director Terri Kondeff. (Idaho Statesman)
