Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler quarantining after inconclusive Covid-19 test results

ATLANTA — Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler is quarantining after receiving inconclusive Covid-19 test results following multiple campaign appearances earlier this week, her campaign said Saturday.

The news comes one day after Loeffler, a Republican locked in a competitive runoff race that could determine the balance of power in Congress, attended two campaign events on Friday alongside Vice President Mike Pence.

In photos shared on Twitter, neither Loeffler nor Pence appeared to be wearing masks.

According to her campaign, Loeffler took two rapid tests Friday morning before the events. The results came back negative. She was later informed that her PCR test, considered the gold standard in detecting genetic material specific to the coronavirus, was positive.

She was retested Saturday after consulting with medical officials and that result was inconclusive, Loeffler campaign spokesperson Stephen Lawson said in a statement. Loeffler remains asymptotic and will remain in quarantine until receiving conclusive test results, Lawson added.

Pence's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Last month, two of Loeffler's staffers tested positive for the coronavirus, but she did not appear to be infected, The Associated Press reported. She also had a previous coronavirus scare after attending a news conference in the White House Rose Garden on Sept. 26 when President Donald Trump announced Amy Coney Barrett as his pick for the U.S. Supreme Court. Trump later tested positive for Covid-19.

Loeffler's Democratic opponent, the Rev. Raphael Warnock, tweeted that he hopes for a quick recovery for her.

"I pray that her test results come back negative and that she is back on the campaign trail soon," he said.

The closely watched contest between Warnock and Loeffler will be decided on Jan. 5 when Georgia voters will determine the fates of both Senate seats.

Loeffler has aligned herself with Sen. David Perdue, a Republican who is facing a runoff against Jon Ossoff. Loeffler and Perdue have been holding joint rallies and are presenting themselves as a united front.

In March, Loeffler was among multiple senators under fire for selling off major stock holdings after receiving early classified congressional briefings on the coronavirus pandemic but before dire warnings of the virus were made public by officials. The Justice Department later closed its insider trading investigations into Loeffler and others.

Jester reported from Atlanta and Lozano from Los Angeles.