With the threat of COVID-19 Coronavirus growing, I’m relieved the President has agreed to both increased federal funding that I fought for, as well as separate funding for state and local response.
Here are the Virginia priorities I fought to include in this legislation:
Here are the Virginia priorities I fought to include in this legislation:
First, I called for every state to get an immediate surge of cash – Virginia will get a total of $13.3 million. This money will come from @CDCgov and go directly to the Commonwealth’s COVID-19 response through a funding formula.
That funding can be used for everything from infection control, lab testing, and surveillance for coronavirus, to contact tracing, mitigation in areas with person-to-person transmission, and other public health preparedness and response activities.
Second, I helped secure an additional $350 million fund for “hot spots.” We are fortunate that there has not been an outbreak in Virginia, but hot spot funding will let us apply for additional money if one does occur.
Third, I fought for an additional $500M to get the masks, equipment, medication, and other supplies our local hospitals need to be prepared. This will allow @HHSGov to buy these supplies in bulk and distribute them to local providers who need them.
Fourth, I made sure that the federal government will reimburse states like Virginia for the preparations they’ve already made for the virus.
Fifth, the bill includes language based on my CONNECT for Health Act, which reduces restrictions on the use of telehealth for public health emergency response, as well as $500 million for implementation.
The legislation also includes additional funding for first responder training, additional beds, and another $100 million for community health centers.
I’m glad that we were able to reach a bipartisan deal that was significantly stronger than the original $1.25 billion package the Trump administration requested, and that the legislation preserves crucial CDC funding that the administration has repeatedly tried to slash.
This $7.8 billion package will make sure the United States has the resources we need to respond to coronavirus.
In the meantime, it’s on all of us to wash our hands, and follow @CDCgov directions to prevent the virus from spreading.
In the meantime, it’s on all of us to wash our hands, and follow @CDCgov directions to prevent the virus from spreading.
