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This page offers all of Delaware Public Media's ongoing coverage of the COVID-19 outbreak and how it is affecting the First State. Check here regularly for the latest new and information.

Coronavirus in Delaware: Sen. Carper on federal response

Delaware Public Media

Government officials at all levels are scrambling to keep up with the novel coronavirus pandemic – both in blunting its spread and dealing with the economic fallout.

This week in Congress – a House coronavirus relief bill passed the Senate and was signed by President Trump – addressing sick and family leave for some workers, expanding unemployment assistance and nutrition assistance and increasing resources for testing.

But much more is on the way and Delaware senior Sen. Tom Carper joined Delaware Public Media’s Tom Byrne to discuss the federal response – what’s happening now and what’s next.

Congress passed more coronavirus relief legislation this week, offering free testing for COVID-19 and paid sick and family leave for some workers, but Sen. Tom Carper (D-Delaware) says there is still much more for lawmakers to do.

The Senate is preparing another bill which would include direct cash payments of $1200 per individual making under $75,000 per year, or $2400 per married couple that makes less than $150,000 per year.

But Carper would like to see bigger payments for healthcare workers and first responders.

“There’s a lot of pressure on those folks, and a lot of them are having to work extraordinarily long hours, they have challenges with healthcare, even their own, and they have problems with childcare for their own children.”

Carper adds the federal government needs to move quickly to provide relief, and also suggests President Trump needs to be more aggressive in marshalling the tools at his disposal like the Defense Production Act and the National Guard to help hospitals build capacity.

“My hope is that now that he realizes this really is a pandemic and not a hoax. It’s not something that will fade away in a few weeks when it gets warmer," said Carper. "We need for him to use his Presidential powers under the Defense Production Act to make sure we don't run out of ventilators and swabs and face masks and stuff like that.”

When asked about President Trump calling the novel coronavirus the "Chinese virus," Carper said the focus now should be on "building bridges, not walls."

"Our neighbor is anyone in need. The Chinese are in need.  The folks in South Korea are in need.  The Italians are in need.  And we have a moral obligation and they have a moral obligation to help us," said Carper. "And we're trying to learn, especially from countries like China and South Korea, about the research they've done into vaccines and into medical treatments... I don't think we do ourselves any favors by calling in the 'Chinese virus'."

 

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