ALBANY – New York will shut down public access to its Capitol building after two state lawmakers tested positive for the coronavirus disease, state leaders announced late Saturday.

Assembly members Helene Weinstein and Charles Barron, both New York City Democrats, both have been infected with COVID-19, according to a joint statement from Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie.

The infection of two lawmakers threatens to throw the state's legislative session into chaos at a time when Cuomo and legislative leaders are negotiating a budget for the 2020-21 fiscal year, which begins April 1.

Now, the public will be kept from the Capitol at a time when it's usually at its most busy, filled with lobbyists, advocates and protesters hoping to persuade lawmakers to support their cause.

"We have spoken with the Senate and are undertaking an intensive cleaning of the Capital and the Legislative Office Building," Cuomo and Heastie said in their statement. "All legislators and staff that have come in contact with these members will be tested to ensure the safety of everyone."

More:Coronavirus timeline in New York: Here’s how we got here and where we’re headed

Coronavirus spreading rapidly in New York

The lawmakers tested positive for the novel coronavirus at a time when it is rapidly spreading through the state.

As of Saturday evening, New York had 613 positive cases statewide. And that number is expected to increase significantly next week, when the state expects to increase its testing capacity to 6,000 tests per day.

So far, the state has tested about 4,700 people total.

Neither of the infected lawmakers had appeared at the Capitol since early March, according to Heastie and Cuomo.

But that's unlikely to assuage concerns of fellow legislators and staff members who fear the virus could quickly rip through a building where people often work in close quarters.

Lawmakers appeared to be taken surprise by the announcement. Three Assembly members said they were unaware Barron and Weinstein had tested positive until Heastie tweeted their results late Saturday.

It remained unclear late Saturday whether lawmakers would still return on Monday, when they are next scheduled to be in session. Senate and Assembly rules do not allow for remote voting away from the legislative chambers in Albany.

Cuomo and Heastie said visitors would be prevented from entering the Capitol beginning Sunday.

Weinstein plays key role in Albany

Weinstein, D-Brooklyn, plays a key role in budget negotiations at the Capitol, serving as the powerful head of the Assembly Ways & Means Committee.

In a statement, Weinstein, 67, said she had not been in Albany since March 4 and hadn't had in-person contact with her staff or constituents since then.

"I began experiencing symptoms the evening of Wednesday, March 11th and I immediately self-quarantined to ensure the safety of my family, friends and the community," Weinstein said.

"I am resting comfortably and continue to work from home on legislative matters, and I am disappointed that I cannot be with my colleagues as we work toward a budget agreement."

Heastie and Cuomo did not say the exact date Barron, 69, had last been in Albany.

Disruption at the state Capitol

The positive cases threaten to severely disrupt the state's legislative session, which launched in January.

Each year, lawmakers gather at the Capitol for a six-month session, when they approve a budget and pass laws.

The budget is due March 31 each year and often includes major policy items that have a significant impact on the state.

This year, Cuomo and lawmakers were negotiating measures to potentially legalize marijuana and change the state's new bail reform laws as part of the budget.

Around 7:45 p.m. — about 90 minutes before the lawmakers' positive tests were revealed to the public — Cuomo said he intended to "accelerate" budget negotiations in order to "anticipate possible absences" in the Legislature.

"If the rate of infection is anything what we believe it to be, there will be legislators who will contract the virus just on the numbers," Cuomo said on a conference call with reporters. "You have people in that proximity that we have in the Capitol — somebody does test positive, that person will be in proximity to other people."

Jon Campbell is a New York state government reporter for the USA TODAY Network. He can be reached at JCAMPBELL1@Gannett.com or on Twitter at @JonCampbellGAN.

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