First-term Idaho Republican lawmaker out with COVID-19

BOISE, Idaho (AP) - Republican Rep. Bruce Skaug said he received a positive COVID-19 test Friday morning.

The first-term lawmaker from Nampa in southwestern Idaho said he believes he caught the coronavirus from a family member and not at the Statehouse.

Skaug said his last day at the Statehouse was Wednesday after the family member started experiencing symptoms. Skaug said he couldn't get tested until Thursday morning.

"I don't have any symptoms but for a tickle in my throat and a cough, but I get that every spring with allergies," he said during a phone interview. "It feels like I'm playing hooky because I feel healthy."

He said he's monitoring his health and taking precautions, though, in case he starts feeling worse.

Skaug during committee meetings and sessions on the House floor doesn't typically wear a face covering.

"I wear a mask in closed rooms if someone else is concerned," he said. "But it's not my regular habit."

He said he wasn't especially surprised to catch the virus.

"Oh, no, it's going around," he said. "I made it for a year without getting it."

Skaug said it's not clear how long he'll be out. An attorney in his law firm, Matthew Andrew, is filling in for him.