Federal Aviation Administration chief Steve Dickson will self-quarantine after a congressman he interacted with tested positive for COVID-19, the illness caused by the novel coronavirus.

Dickson shook hands with Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart on March 11 before a hearing. Diaz-Balart tested positive for the illness on Wednesday.

Dickson, who said he does not currently have symptoms, will work from home for the next seven days in accordance with CDC guidance.

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Federal Aviation Administration chief Steve Dickson is in self-quarantine after he interacted with a congressman who was later diagnosed with COVID-19.

The FAA confirmed Dickson's status to Business Insider Thursday morning.

Republican Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, who serves Florida's 25th Congressional District, tested positive for the illness, which is caused by the novel coronavirus, on Wednesday. He was the first US lawmaker to test positive. A second member of Congress tested positive shortly after.

Dickson briefly interacted with Diaz-Balart on March 11, shortly before a hearing at the House Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee.

In an email to staff first obtained by a Reuters reporter, Dickson said that he was "feeling well," but planned to self-quarantine until 14 days after the potential exposure, which is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"As a result of Rep. Diaz-Balart testing positive for COVID-19, the administrator is following the recommended protocols from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and will self-quarantine and work remotely for seven days to ensure he is symptom-free 14 days after contact with the congressman," the FAA said in a statement.

The coronavirus has rapidly spread around the globe following its discovery in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. More than 222,000 people have been infected globally, and more than 9,000 have died. More than 9,400 cases have been reported in the US where at least 152 have died.