Rep. Susie Lee Statement on First Presumptively Positive COVID-19 Case in Southern Nevada

Statement

U.S. Rep. Susie Lee (Nev.-03) released the following statement in response to the first presumptively positive case of the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in southern Nevada. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) treat "presumptively positive' cases as "positive' for public health purposes.

"The presumptively positive case of COVID-19 in southern Nevada is a reminder of how important it is to practice basic hygiene, stay home or seek medical attention if you're ill, and listen to up-to-date guidance from the CDC," said Rep. Lee. "Facts, sound science, basic hygiene, and calm are key."

BACKGROUND: On Feb. 28, Rep. Lee and a group of her congressional colleagues sent a letter to House and Senate leadership voicing support for the appropriation of comprehensive supplemental funding to address COVID-19.

As a member of the Problem Solvers Caucus (PSC), Rep. Lee called for bipartisan cooperation across the country, congressional leadership, and the administration to combat COVID-19. Follow the link to read PSC's statement. Rep. Lee and PSC met with Vice President Mike Pence on Mar. 3 to discuss the spread and potential global impact of COVID-19.

On Mar. 4, Rep. Lee and the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a bipartisan emergency supplemental appropriation bill of $8.3 billion to address COVID-19 with a vote of 415 to two. The emergency supplemental provides $8.3 billion in entirely new funding--not funding taken from other critical public health priorities--to combat the coronavirus epidemic and keep Americans safe. It includes:

-More than $3 billion for research and development of vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics;
-$2.2 billion in public health funding for prevention, preparedness, and response, $950 million of which is to support state & local health agencies;
-Nearly $1 billion for procurement of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies, to support healthcare preparedness and Community Health Centers, and to improve medical surge capacity;
-$61 million to facilitate the development and review of medical countermeasures, devices, therapies, and vaccines, and to help mitigate potential supply chain interruptions;
-$1.25 billion to address the coronavirus abroad to help keep Americans safe here at home; and
-Allows for an estimated $7 billion in low-interest loans to affected small businesses, to help cushion the economic blow of this public health emergency.

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