US Rep. Colin Allred has COVID-19 after congressional trip

U.S. Rep. Colin Allred says he has tested positive for COVID-19 after returning to his home in Dallas from an overseas trip with a congressional delegation

Texas Congressman COVID Positive (Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

U.S. Rep. Colin Allred announced that he tested positive for COVID-19 Sunday after returning to his home in Dallas from an overseas trip with a congressional delegation.

Allred had been traveling with 10 other members of Congress in Europe on a trip that included a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The 38-year-old Democrat said in a statement that he tested negative for the virus before boarding a flight back to Texas and again after landing, before testing positive Sunday.

Allred, a former Obama administration lawyer and NFL linebacker, said he is experiencing mild symptoms from the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. He said he is fully vaccinated and has received a booster shot.

Allred said that he and the other members of Congress he was traveling with were tested throughout the trip, including before their meeting with Zelenskyy. ___

This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Rep. Colin Allred's first named.