Most of us realize that the only way we are going to get the coronavirus behind us is for each of us to take personal responsibility and not be a spreader. Whether it’s masking up, staying home, avoiding hot spots, or getting tested and isolating if we test positive, it’s up to each of us. Virginia has done better than many states, but numbers and deaths are increasing again. In order to open our businesses and schools, and in order to keep them open, we need to immediately nip this dangerous trend.
As I write this now, on July 19, there are talks going on to decide how the federal government will allocate money for coronavirus relief. The administration is trying to block funding that would help states conduct testing and contact tracing, even over the objections of a number of Republican congressmen. These are the very things we need most to get the pandemic under control.
Abigail Spanberger, 7th district congresswoman, is working hard to make sure there is a bipartisan deal that will enable us to be successful.
“Blocking testing support may obscure just how bad the pandemic is, but it won’t help us save lives, rebuild the economy, or reopen schools safely,” she said. “In Congress, I’ll continue to fight for support of testing and tracing.”
Peter Sugarman Louisa
Originally published in the Central Virginian and published here with the permission of the author.
