O.C. congressman received vaccine dose, but tests positive for virus

U.S. Rep. Lou Correa, who represents the 46th Congressional District covering parts of Orange County, announced Saturday he had tested positive for the virus — even though he received his first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine Dec. 19.

“I now join more than 200,000 Orange County residents who have been diagnosed with the virus,” Correa said Saturday in a statement.

The Democratic congressman, who was not experiencing symptoms, received a routine test upon returning from Washington after the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6.

He did not shelter with his colleagues in a designated safe zone during the attack, his office said.

Correa was accosted at Dulles International Airport by Trump supporters a day after the Capitol attack, according to CNN video.

“While this diagnosis will prevent me from attending the much-anticipated inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden,” Correa said, “I look forward to working with the new administration to unite our country and help the millions of people devastated by the pandemic.”

Experts said it was still possible to test positive for the coronavirus after getting the vaccine.