As the coronavirus continues to spread throughout the US, some lawmakers on Capitol Hill are making changes to their daily routines in an effort to guard against the virus, including altering their approaches to meeting with constituents and their own travel plans in the days ahead, CNN reports.
Others, however, are largely carrying on with their normal schedules, meeting large groups of visitors daily and planning to interact with constituents in town halls and meetings during next week's recess.
For older members of the House and Senate, the threat of coronavirus looms larger with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention giving guidance this week that individuals over 60 should avoid larger crowds and take precautions to stock up on supplies at home. Roll Call has reported that 194 members of Congress -- more than one-third -- are 65 or older.
This week, several members of Congress self-quarantined after they were told they had interacted with an individual at the Conservative Political Action Conference who had since tested positive for coronavirus.
Sen. Pat Roberts, who's 83, told reporters this week that his staff had given him "marching orders" that he needed to avoid touching surfaces without first wiping them down. During the interview, he braced himself on the Senate train with his elbows, the only part of his body touching the handrails.
"Well, I got in this pocket ... damp wet wipes. I am supposed to go ahead at every doorknob, everything else ... no touching. They are always telling me do not touch my face. That is really hard," the Kansas Republican said.
"I have certain gestures I have had all my life ... now I am sitting there like this," he said folding his hands together. "Very powerful attitude."
