Supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump gather near the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C., the United States, Jan. 6, 2021. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

 At least three members of the US Congress have tested positive for COVID-19 following the storming of the Capitol by President Donald Trump's supporters last week.

Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman, Pramila Jayapal and congressman Brad Schneider have announced they have tested positive and blamed their results on their Republican colleagues' refusal to wear face masks during the hours-long lockdown as a large number of protesters, many unmasked, roamed the halls of the Capitol on Jan. 6.

In an interview with McClatchy Newspapers, Director of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Robert Redfield has warned the incident was probably a "superspreader" event that "will have public health consequences."