Illinois Democratic Rep. Bobby Rush has introduced the H.R. 6666 TRACE Act, which includes a $100 billion grant program which would authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to create an army of contact tracers operating through healthcare, schools and nonprofit entities, who would perform COVID-19 diagnostic testing “through mobile health units and, as necessary, at individuals’ residences, and for other purposes.”
“Until we have a vaccine to defeat this dreaded disease, contact tracing in order to understand the full breadth and depth of the spread of this virus is the only way we will be able to get out from under this,” Rush says on his website.
And when will that be?
According to Heavy, Rush’s words echo those of Johns Hopkins Senior Scholar Dr. Crystal Watson, lead author of a recent report which concludes that contact tracing is vital to reopening the country.
“In order to save lives, reduce COVID-19’s burden on our healthcare system, ease strict social distancing measures, and confidently make progress toward returning to work and school, the United States must implement a robust and comprehensive system to identify all COVID-19 cases and trace all close contacts of each identified case.”
The bill’s co-signers include Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Gwen Moore (D-WI), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Steve Cohen (D-TN) and Republican Jefferson Van Drew of New Jersey. – READ MORE
