Texas Sen. Ted Cruz announced Sunday evening that he will undergo self-quarantine this week at his Texas home because he interacted with a person at the Conservative Political Action Conference who has tested positive for coronavirus.

Cruz said on Twitter that he had only a brief conversation and shook hands with the person. The interaction took place 10 days ago, he said.

Maryland officials warned Saturday that the person who attended the recent conference in the suburb of Oxon Hill had tested positive for the COVID-19 virus.

President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence spoke at CPAC. White House officials said Saturday that there was no indication either had met or were in “close proximity” to the infected person.

Cruz said that he isn’t experiencing symptoms that are associated with the virus and that medical officials have told him the odds are low that the person passed the virus to him.

He doesn’t meet the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria for self-quarantine, partly because of how brief his contact with the person was, he said.

“Nevertheless, out of an abundance of caution, and because of how frequently I interact with my constituents as a part of my job, and to give everyone peace of mind, I have decided to remain at my home in Texas this week, until a full 14 days have passed since the CPAC interaction,” his statement read.

Cruz added that people should take the coronavirus outbreak seriously.

“I encourage everyone to follow the recommendations of the CDC and other health professionals in protecting their own health and welfare, as well as the health and welfare of those around them," he said.

Today I released the following statement: pic.twitter.com/XGXEa4ozcg — Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) March 8, 2020

Cruz’s announcement came as the first case of the virus was confirmed in the nation’s capital. A man in his 50s tested positive for the virus, Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser announced Saturday. The man started showing symptoms of the illness in late February.

A prominent Episcopal church in Washington suspended all activities Sunday after identifying one of its senior leaders as the first person in the nation’s capital to test positive.

The Rev. Timothy Cole, the church rector, was in stable condition after being hospitalized Saturday night, according to a written statement from the Rev. Crystal Hardin, the assistant rector.

A second local positive test involves a man who visited the Washington area from Nigeria, but he was being hospitalized in Maryland, Bowser said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.