Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul has tested positive for the novel coronavirus

• Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, his office announced in a tweet on Sunday.
• "He is feeling fine and is in quarantine," the tweet said. "He is asymptomatic and was tested out of an abundance of caution due to his extensive travel and events. He was not aware of any direct contact with any infected person."
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Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, his office announced in a tweet on Sunday.

"He is feeling fine and is in quarantine," the tweet said. "He is asymptomatic and was tested out of an abundance of caution due to his extensive travel and events. He was not aware of any direct contact with any infected person."

Paul is the first US senator to test positive for the illness.

The World Health Organization declared the novel coronavirus, which causes a disease known as COVID-19, a pandemic on March 11. To date, 318,662 people around the world have tested positive for the virus, and 13,672 have died.

The US now ranks fourth globally in the number of confirmed cases, after China, Italy, and Spain. As of Sunday afternoon, there are 27,004 cases, and 347 patients have died. The vast majority of the infections are in New York, California, and Washington.

Senator Rand Paul has tested positive for COVID-19. He is feeling fine and is in quarantine. He is asymptomatic and was tested out of an abundance of caution due to his extensive travel and events. He was not aware of any direct contact with any infected person.

- Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) March 22, 2020