First Georgia state House member tests positive for coronavirus
A member of the Georgia House has tested positive for the coronavirus, the first state representative confirmed with the illness after five state senators caught it.
State Rep. Matthew Gambill, a Republican from Cartersville, learned his test results Thursday, 10 days after he was tested, according to the office of House Speaker David Ralston.
Gambill has quarantined himself at home since March 13 after he was exposed to someone who tested positive for the coronavirus.
Gambill, who has experienced mild symptoms, didn't attend a legislative session March 16 to grant authority to Gov. Brian Kemp to respond to the coronavirus.
In addition to Gambill, state Rep. Angelika Kausche said Tuesday that a doctor told her to presume she contracted coronavirus after her husband received a positive diagnosis and she experienced similar symptoms. Kausche, a Democrat from Johns Creek, has not taken a coronavirus test.
The five state senators with coronavirus are Brandon Beach, a Republican from Alpharetta; Lester Jackson, a Democrat from Savannah; Kay Kirkpatrick, a Republican from Marietta; Bruce Thompson, a Republican from White; and Nikema Williams, a Democrat from Atlanta.
The Georgia General Assembly's legislative session is suspended to slow the spread of the disease.
About the Author
Mark Niesse is an enterprise reporter and covers elections and Georgia government for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and is considered an expert on elections and voting. Before joining the AJC, he worked for The Associated Press in Atlanta, Honolulu and Montgomery, Alabama. He also reported for The Daily Report and The Santiago Times in Chile.
