Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) on Tuesday said he had tested positive for COVID-19 and would miss votes this week in the Senate.
His office confirmed to The Hill he plans to return to Washington next week.
Tillis, who had planned to host a Halloween “dog parade” on Tuesday, said he no longer would be able to attend but suggested Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) could take his place.
“Unfortunately I have COVID and won’t be able to kick off today’s Bipawtisan Howl-o-ween Dog Parade. But believe me, it will all work out. I know the perfect person for the job…,” Tillis wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter, with a picture of Romney holding a soccer ball and a referee whistle.
The most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows a slight dip in positive COVID-19 cases and an increase in COVID-19 deaths. The week of Oct. 15 to Oct. 21 showed a test positivity rate of 8.7 percent, a decrease by 0.7 percent from the previous week.
The same week showed the percent of all deaths due to COVID-19 was 2.7 percent, a positive increase of 12.5 percent from the previous week.
The Biden administration and public health officials have encouraged people to get their updated vaccinations ahead of the winter months.
