Organizers of the Conservative Political Action Conference, better known as CPAC, said Saturday that a person who attended last month’s event has tested positive for coronavirus.
The American Conservative Union said in a statement that the unidentified CPAC attendee was exposed to coronavirus prior to the conference and tested positive at a New Jersey hospital earlier Saturday.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control has confirmed the positive test result, and the patient is being treated and quarantined in New Jersey, the American Conservative Union said.
Organizers said the individual did not interact at CPAC with President Trump or Vice President Mike Pence, who were among several politicians who gave addresses at the event, and did not attend any events in the main hall where the conference was held.
“Our children, spouses, extended family and friends attended CPAC. During this time, we need to remain calm, listen to our health care professionals and support each other. We send this message in that spirit,” the American Conservative Union said in the statement.
Held at the Gaylord National Resort & Conference Center in National Harbor, Maryland, near Washington, D.C., CPAC 2020 took place from Feb. 26-29 and featured appearances by a number of prominent conservatives in addition to the president and vice president, including several members of the first family and White House officials, among others.
“The Trump Administration is aware of the situation, and we will continue regular communication with all appropriate government officials,” the American Conservative Union said in the statement.
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said later Saturday that the state Department of Health had been notified about the case by its counterpart in New Jersey, and his office issued a statement that said those “who attended or worked at the conference may be at some risk for acquiring COVID-19,” as the coronavirus is also known.
“Immediately after learning of this individual’s interactions in our state, we began coordinating with the White House, the CDC and federal officials, the New Jersey Department of Health, Prince George’s County officials, and conference organizers,” said Mr. Hogan. “Due to the scale of this conference, we are urging attendees who are experiencing flu-like symptoms to immediately reach out to their health care provider. We are providing this update not to unnecessarily raise alarm, but in the interest of full transparency and out of an abundance of caution.”
It was not immediately clear how many people attended CPAC 2020, and its organizers did not immediately provide a number upon being contacted by The Washington Times.
More than 19,000 people attended the previous CPAC in 2019, according to event’s website.
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