Thom Tillis Heads Back to Washington for Supreme Court Hearing

The US senator announced his coronavirus diagnosis Oct. 2, but returned for the Amy Coney Barrett hearings a day after being cleared by his doctor. 

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis attended in person the confirmation hearing of Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett on Tuesday, one day after his doctor told him he could end his self-quarantine for COVID-19.

Tillis, who announced his positive coronavirus test Oct. 2, released a letter from his physician telling him he had fulfilled all the criteria from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to end his isolation as of Monday. Tillis has said his symptoms were mild and ended within a few days of his virus announcement.

Tillis, a Republican seeking reelection next month, had been at his North Carolina home through Monday, when he delivered online opening comments at Barrett’s hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, of which he is a member. He was inside the committee room Tuesday morning.

Tillis announced his positive test result nearly a week after attending the Sept. 26 White House event in which President Donald Trump announced Barrett’s nomination to the Supreme Court. Unlike most people at the event, Tillis wore a face mask, but he took it off once indoors. Many attendees — including Trump — later tested positive for the coronavirus, which causes COVID-19.