Philly Rep Rants About GOP Lawmaker's Coronavirus Diagnosis

PHILADELPHIA — State Rep. Brian Sims lashed out in a 12-minute-long video at conservative colleagues for allegedly not revealing the positive coronavirus test result of a Republican lawmaker to others in the Pennsylvania State Legislature.

Sims, a Democrat who represents part of Philadelphia in Harrisburg, posted the video about State Rep. Andrew Lewis (R-Dauphin County) and other Pennsylvania Republicans not informing Democratic colleagues about Lewis's coronavirus diagnosis.

Sims accused Republican leadership of keeping Lewis's — and potentially other GOP lawmakers — coronavirus diagnosis under wraps.

"Every single day of this crisis the government committee has met so members could line up one after one and explain that it was safe to go back to work," Sims said in the video posted Wednesday. "During that time they were testing positive. They were notifying one another…and they didn’t notify us."

Lewis in a video on his own Facebook said on May 16 he had symptoms of the virus. He got a swab test which came back positive on May 20.

He said he self-isolated after getting the test then notified who he had contact with since then. He said he was in Harrisburg on May 14 for a few hours.

"One: I wore a mask," he said. "Two: I didn't shake any hands. And three: It's pretty much a ghost town at the capital right now."

He said he interacted with four to five people, all of whom were notified of Lewis's diagnosis.

Sims however, said all members of the legislature should have been notified.

He called their alleged lack of transparency an "unprecedented attack on Democratic Members and our families."

Other Democrats expressed anger at Republicans for not disclosing the diagnosis, with Philly's Malcolm Kenyatta calling for House Speaker Mike Turazi (R-Marshall) to resign.

Both lawmakers' statements are below:

Note: Sims's video contains explicit language