Democrat Congressman Stephen Lynch, 65, tests positive to COVID-19 after receiving both doses of Pfizer's vaccine

Democrat Rep. Stephen Lynch has tested positive to COVID-19 after receiving both shots of the Pfizer vaccine. 

The 65-year-old Congressman - who represents Massachusetts' 8th Congressional district - tested positive for the virus on Friday afternoon, his spokeswoman told CNN. 

Lynch attended President Joe Biden's inauguration last Wednesday, but returned a negative test before that event. 

Lynch received his second dose of the Pfzier COVID-19 vaccine prior to the inauguration, but the spokesperson did not disclose the exact date he had the shot. 

Pfizer's vaccine does not necessarily prevent COVID-19 infection, but is said to be 95 percent effective in stopping the serious symptoms that are caused by the coronavirus. 

Lynch is asymptomatic and was only tested for the illness after a staffer at his Boston offices became ill with the virus.

The Congressman is now isolating at home and plans to continue working  remotely.  

Democrat Rep. Stephen Lynch has tested positive to COVID-19 after receiving both shots of the Pfizer vaccine

Lynch is pictured with Dr. Anthony Fauci during a hearing concerning government preparedness to the coronavirus in  March of last year 

Earlier this month, four Democratic politicians tested positive for COVID-19 after they bunkered down with maskless Republicans in a safe room during the siege of the Capitol Building on January 6. 

Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, 75, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, 55, Rep. Brad Schneider, 59, and Rep. Adriano Espaillat, 66, all confirmed they had contracted the coronavirus and blamed Republicans for refusing to wear masks while enclosed in the room. 

Lynch was not in the room at the time.  

Democrats have now proposed a $1,000 a day fine on lawmakers who refuse to wear masks while in the Capitol complex.  

Many members of Congress have now been received COVID-19 vaccines, although some lawmakers, including Tulsi Gabbard and Ilhan Omar have refused to have the injections ahead of other more vulnerable Americans. 

Lynch is seen talking to constitutents last Friday - a week before he tested positive to COVID-19

According to current data, only 6.9 percent of Americans have received their first of two Pfizer or Moderna COVID vaccines. 

Just 1.4 percent of citizens have received both doses and are now fully vaccinated. 

The US has reported more than 25.9million confirmed cases of coronavirus in the country and over 435,000 total deaths. 

One Friday alone, 165,339 new cases 3,503 new deaths were added to the tally. 

More than 101,000 Americans remain in hospital being treated for the virus.  

A nurse is seen preparing a Pfizer vaccine in  Boston on Friday. Just 1.4 percent of US citizens have received both doses of a COVID vaccine

South African 'super' COVID variant infects Baltimore resident - the third in the U.S. - as the country surpasses 26 million cases 

The South African 'super' COVID-19 variant has now spread to Maryland with the state recording its first case in a woman in Baltimore and the third case confirmed overall on US soil, the same day the nation surpassed 26 million cases of the virus.   

Governor Larry Hogan announced Saturday that state health officials had confirmed a case of the new B.1.351 variant in an adult female living in the Baltimore metro region who had no recent travel history overseas, sparking concerns that the strain is already spreading in the community.  

The case comes just two days after two South Carolina residents became the first Americans found to have contracted the South African strain, despite also having no recent travel history and no known connection to each other. 

There is no evidence to suggest the new strain is more deadly but it is around 50 percent more infectious and Dr. Fauci has warned the vaccine may be less effective against it.  

It's become a race to ramp up the vaccination program and get shots in the arms of Americans as the US topped 26 million cases Saturday and the death toll reached 438,239.  

In the last 24 hours, more than 166,000 new cases were recorded and more than 3,600 people died as the race is on to roll out the vaccine while new strains spread nationwide. 

Hard-hit California, where Governor Gavin Newsom lifted the lockdown this week, marked a grim record Saturday morning as it topped 40,000 deaths since the pandemic began. 

The South African 'super' COVID-19 variant has now spread to Maryland with the state recording its first case in a woman in Baltimore and the third case confirmed overall on US soil

Governor Hogan said Saturday officials are 'closely monitoring' the emergence of the new strain in the Free State and urged residents to practice 'extra caution' to help limit the spread.   

Contract tracing efforts are underway to try to identify anyone who was in contact with the individual so they are can be tested and quarantine. 

'State health officials are closely monitoring the B.1.351 variant of SARS-CoV-2 in the state,' Logan said in a statement. 

'We strongly encourage Marylanders to practice extra caution to limit the additional risk of transmission associated with this variant. 

'Please continue to practice standard public health and safety measures, including mask wearing, regular hand washing, and physical distancing.' 

Governor Larry Hogan announced Saturday that state health officials had confirmed a case of the new B.1.351 variant in an adult female living in the Baltimore metro region who had no recent travel history overseas, sparking concerns that the strain is already spreading in the community

Other details about the case such as the woman's age and her condition are not known.  

The South African strain is the second new variant found in Maryland after the state confirmed its first case of the UK strain B.1.1.7 back on January 12. 

Since then, seven cases of that strain have been confirmed in the state. 

The South African strain was first confirmed to have landed in the US Thursday when South Carolina officials confirmed the two cases - one in the state's easternmost 'Pee Dee' region and the other in the 'Lowcountry' region to the south. 

The two are both adults, but the state health department has released no further details about their identities.   

What is known is that all three confirmed cases in the US are in people with no recent international travel history, meaning it is likely already silently spreading among communities and that cases likely stretch far beyond the few cases confirmed.

It's the second new variant reported in the US this week, after Minnesota confirmed the first known American case of the P1 variant from Brazil. 

There are now three strains of the mutated 'super COVID' circulating the US - the South African, the UK and the Brazil strains. 

Overall, 437 cases of the variants have now been confirmed in the US.  

Patients at Providence St. Mary Medical Center in California as the state passes the grim milestone of 40,000 death

There is no evidence the South African is more deadly or causes more serious illness but it is thought to be more contagious.

Meanwhile the Brazilian strain is feared to be causing re-infection among people who contracted the original strain. 

Dr. Fauci this week also said the UK variant appears to be more deadly but that he is most concerned about the South African variant because it is thought to make vaccines less effective. 

Moderna and Pfizer said preliminary lab tests suggest their vaccines are 'protective' against the South African variant, but admitted it does diminish the effectiveness.

With the new strains in mind, Fauci warned Thursday that the health crisis 'could get worse'. 

Los Angeles residents are flocking to restaurants for the first time in two months as outdoor dining has reopened