Officials ordered the US Capitol closed to much of the public on Thursday, one day after a staffer for a US senator from Washington state tested positive for the coronavirus.

Limited access to the Capitol would begin at 5pm ET (2100 GMT), the House and Senate Sergeant at Arms said in a statement. The Capitol Visitor Centre will be closed and all public tours suspended, they said.

Lawmakers, staff and visitors with official business would still be allowed entry, Capitol officials said.

Democratic US Senator Maria Cantwell on Wednesday said she would shutter her Washington, DC, office after one of her staffers tested positive for COVID-19.

Republican Senator Tom Cotton said in a statement on Thursday he was also closing his Washington, DC, office as a precautionary measure.

“Other congressional employees are likely to test positive in the days ahead,” Cotton said, adding he expected disruptions would be minimal given Congress’s scheduled week-long recess.