Texas state Rep. Carl Sherman says he’s tested positive for COVID-19

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State Rep. Carl Sherman, D-DeSoto, has tested positive for the coronavirus, he said Friday.

"Today, I received a positive test result for COVID-19, and though I feel fine, I am adhering to the professional doctors' guidance and will be under strict self-quarantine," Sherman said in a statement. "It is my prayer that no one other than myself contracted it."

Sherman did not say how he thought he contracted the virus. The House, which gaveled in for start of the 2021 legislative session last week, adjourned Jan. 14 and is not set to convene again until Tuesday.

The day after the House adjourned, state Rep. Joe Deshotel, D-Beaumont, told The Texas Tribune he had tested positive for the virus the previous day, which came three days after state lawmakers met for hours on the House floor to elect a new speaker and adopt chamber rules for the session.

The House unanimously adopted rules that will require members to wear masks in the chamber and during committee hearings, though tests will not be mandated before they can enter those spaces. The Senate, meanwhile, will require senators to test negative before entering the chamber or attending a committee hearing. Senate staff will also be required to test the first day of the week they enter the Capitol and before accessing a hearing or the chamber.