Confirmed cases of the new Coronavirus in Florida leaped sixfold in a week. In respnse to this national emergency, the US House passed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (HR 6201). The bill will make it easier for all Americans to work together to slow the spread of the COVID-19.
Free testing for Coronavirus: All individuals who need a test will have access at no cost.
Paid emergency leave: Two weeks of paid sick leave and up to three months of job-protected leave is provided to allow workers to follow quarantine recommendations and care for their family.
Enhanced unemployment insurance: Emergency unemployment insurance is extended to cover furloughed or quarantined workers due to an outbreak at their workplaces
Food security: Food assistance is expanded through the Women Infants and Children (WIC) program, food banks, Meals on Wheels, SNAP, and provides electronic benefit transfer amounts to families who would usually receive free and reduced-price meals at school
Health security: Additional federal funding will be invested into Medicaid to give states the option to expand Medicaid coverage for COVID-19 testing.
These policies are the product of bipartisan negotiations that put the American people first.
Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, put it very succinctly in testimony to Congress last week. “Bottom line, it’s going to get worse.” But, if we work together and heed the instructions of the health professionals we will weather the pandemic.
About 80 percent of people confirmed to have the virus will have mild symptoms, similar to the common cold or flu.
About 15 percent of the patients contracting the virus will likely patients have severe symptoms that don’t go away on their own (often developing into a lung infection).
Less than 5 percent of the patients are likely to become critical (mostly the elderly or people with medical conditions) requiring hospitalization.
The CDC says a fatality rate of 2.3 percent has been reported among confirmed cases of COVID-19 in China.
If 1 percent of Florida’s 4 million seniors get infected, that would equate to 40,000 people with over 900 potential deaths.
There is no vaccine or treatment yet for COVID-19, although the symptoms can be treated.
Drive-up testing sites will be opening next week to allow for a broader population of residents to be tested in the coming weeks.