U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kansas, said Monday that negotiations were ongoing between the White House and Congressional leaders to complete the third phase of relief for those affected by COVID-19.
“You can’t expect small businesses and individuals to bear the brunt and the burden of a global pandemic,” Sen. Moran said during a virtual news conference held by the University of Kansas Health System. He participated through a video link from Washington.
“This legislation is designed to provide some financial security, some ability to get by, while this circumstance is being faced by American citizens and American business,” he said.
The primary purpose of the bill is getting a direct check to people at medium to lower income levels, and another purpose is providing a loan guaranteed by the Small Business Administration to small businesses that agree to keep employees on the payroll. It would make it more likely a business could afford to pay salaries of people who work for them, he said, and if they keep them on the payroll, they would be reimbursed later.
Another provision would increase unemployment benefits by $600 per week for the next 13 weeks, and independent contractors and sole providers could be included in unemployment insurance, he said. Also, student loan payments could be delayed for 90 days under the bill.
“The economy can’t recover until people feel secure in their health,” Sen. Moran said. People need a sense of well-being, he said.
“The other part of this is to make sure our health care providers have the necessary resources,” Sen. Moran said.
There is $75 billion being considered for resources for health care providers, who are at the forefront of treating people who may have COVID-19, he said. Also, the bill provides funding for the Food and Drug Administration to move forward with tests more rapidly completed, and to find additional vaccines or cures.
If the legislation passes, there is financial support to take care of the circumstances that health care is facing today in Kansas and across the country, he said.
The amount of financial aid for cities and states is one of the stumbling blocks for this bill, Sen. Moran agreed. However, money is directed to local institutions such as hospitals and community mental health centers, he said.
This financial issues wouldn’t keep him from voting for the bill, he said. He said he wanted to make sure the money would be used specifically for dealing with COVID-19, not just bailing out a state that already has a financial problem.
Sen. Moran said he has had some success in getting some test kits out of the federal stockpile and sent to KDHE in Kansas. They also have got FDA to expedite approvals, and additional manufacturers are making test kits, and they are now being manufactured more rapidly, he said.
After Sen. Moran spoke at the news conference, the trillion-dollar bill did not pass in the Senate on Monday, and negotiations were continuing. Some Democrats have criticized the bill as having too much assistance for corporations, and were preparing alternative bills.
Dr. Lee Norman, Kansas secretary of health, said Kansas had 82 COVID-19 patients on Monday. It hasn’t doubled cases every three to four days, he said. COVID-19 isn’t treated with vaccines and there currently isn’t a cure for it, so they are relying on older health practices. The Kansas number was changed to 79 Monday evening, because some Douglas County cases were counted twice.
“If we want to continue to do well as a state, really pay attention to these public health practices. We will eventually have a vaccine, we will eventually have antiviral medications but we’re just not there yet,” he said.
Tammy Peterman, president of the Kansas City Division, the University of Kansas Health System, said they have further restricted access to the health center, restricting visitors to zero, with some exceptions. Employees and visitors are monitored by taking their temperature as they come in, she said. They also have postponed elective surgery in order to conserve personal protective equipment and supplies.
KU Health System also has reduced clinic visits while expanding telemedicine, she said. It is also monitoring its supplies closely, she added. KU Health System also is communicating with other health professionals in other institutions and with community leaders, she said.
KU Hospital took care of the first patient diagnosed with COVID-19 in Kansas, and this morning, there were eight positive COVID-19 patients at the hospital, she said.
This morning there were 40 patients at KU Hospital waiting on test results to determine if they have COVID-19, she said. That number has increased over the past few weeks, she said. The hospital uses a lot of supplies and equipment on those patients until they get the results back to determine if they have COVID-19, she said.
“We’re monitoring what’s happening on the coasts and across the country, and we’re preparing, because we know there will be an increase in in-patient bed utilization in our city,” she said. They are working with other hospitals to be prepared, she added.
“We have this really great city, and we need to do what we always do, which is come together as we are, because we can have an impact on this,” Peterman said. “We can bend that curve, we know that. If we follow the instructions, if we follow the guidance, we can have an impact on this and truly make a difference here in Kansas City.”
Dr. Steve Stites, chief medical officer of the University of Kansas Health System, said there is nothing more important from a public health perspective than to stay home.
People need to channel their fears about COVID-19 into trying to help people work together to control it, he said.
“The way to do it is to stay home, keep your distance, 6 feet away, wash your hands, don’t touch your face,” he said. “Those are the basic public health principles that really do work.”
If you’re not touching a doorknob among a group of people in a different environment, then your risk of getting the virus is a lot lower, he said. Even if someone else is sick at home, you can put them in a part of the home that keeps them isolated, he said.
If people stay home and isolate, there will be fewer cases and flatten the curve, Dr. Stites said. If they flatten the curve, they can take care of people so the hospitals and intensive care units won’t get overwhelmed, he said.
It is incredibly important to follow the shelter at home, stay at home policy, Dr. Stites said.
“Do that, avoid the doorknob principle, and make sure you follow the great public health principles that we know work,” Dr. Stites said. “At the end of the day, we can channel our fear into being healthier and doing the right thing. And that will help us get through this crisis faster and better.”
To view a video of the news conference, which includes much more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/kuhospital/videos/2546243839026780/.
The UG’s COVID-19 response website is at
https://alpha.wycokck.org/Coronavirus-COVID-19-Information.
The Kansas COVID-19 website is at
https://govstatus.egov.com/coronavirus.
COVID-19 information from the CDC is at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html.
The KU Health Systems COVID-19 information is at https://www.kansashealthsystem.com/news-room/news/2020/03/coronavirus-information?fbclid=IwAR1EDAakbEz6H4NTnSzhPetzzttB2zjpgs85VjKYQ3txt0XdRhs2rcx-v5c#visitor.
