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Rep. Antonio Delgado, a Democrat who represents New York's 19th Congressional District, received his positive test result on Tuesday, Dec. 21, and is experiencing mild symptoms, according to his announcement on Wednesday, Dec. 22.
The 19th congressional district includes the Catskills and the mid-Hudson Valley regions, including Sullivan and Ulster counties and part of Dutchess County.
"I'm grateful for the protection of a safe and effective vaccine and booster and encourage all who are able to get both," Delgado, age 44, said in a statement. "I'm sending love and special thanks to all of our frontline health care workers who work tirelessly to keep our communities safe."
Delgado's first person of either African-American or Hispanic descent to be elected to Congress from Upstate New York. He was elected to Congress in 2018.
The announcement comes as the state continues to see a surge in COVID-19 cases as the highly-transmissible Omicron variant spreads.
State officials reported another 28,924 COVID-19 cases, and a test positivity rate of 10.66 percent from the previous day in its update on Wednesday, Dec. 22.
"As we confront the winter surge, it is vital to remember we have come a long way in our fight against COVID with the best defense we have - the vaccine - readily available throughout the state," Gov. Kathy Hochul said. "We are actively working to bring more tests in for New Yorkers to reduce wait times as we see more people getting tested for the holidays."
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