Manataba Messenger

Page 10 NEWS BRIEFS For Immediate Release: March 20, 2020 Reps. Gallego, Cook, Grijalva, Cole, Haaland Demand the Immediate Release of Congressionally Approved COVID-19 Aid to Indian Country WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Rep. Ruben Gallego (D- AZ), Rep. Paul Cook (R-CA), Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva (D- AZ), Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK) and Rep. Deb Haaland (D- NM) led 23bipartisan Members of Congress in a letter to Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar urging him to immediately facilitate the transfer of $120 million in COVID-19 relief funds to the Indian Health Service (IHS) for immediate dissemina- tion to Tribes, tribal organizations, and urban Indian Organizations. H.R. 6074, the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, appropriated $2.2 billion to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), direct- ing that at least $40 million of those funds be set aside for Tribes, tribal organizations, and urban Indian organizations. This bill was signed into law on March 6, and yet Tribes still have been unable to access this funding. The Members argue that H.R. 6074’s $40 million mini- mum will not meet Indian Country’s immediate needs and that CDC does not have the proper procedures in place to distribute this funding throughout Indian Country itself. The Members therefore urge that the $40 million set aside be tripled to $120 million and be immediately transferred to IHS, which has the capabil- ity to more effectively distribute these resources. “Every Department of our federal government has a legal trust responsibility to American Indian and Alaska Native tribes established by hundreds of treaties between the U.S. and sovereign Tribes,” the Members write. “In light of the current pandemic, it is more important than ever that we uphold this respon- sibility by making sure Tribes can access adequate, sorely needed resources in a timely manner.” Other Members signed on to the letter: Betty McCollum (D-MN), Don Young (R-AK), Derek Kilmer (D-WA), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Tom O’Halleran (D-AZ), Greg Gianforte (R-MT), Karen Bass (D-CA), Greg Stanton (D-AZ), Kendra S. Horn (D-OK), Sharice L. Davids (D-KS), Gwen Moore (D-WI), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Ron Kind (D-WI), Steven Horsford (D-NV), Raul Ruiz, M.D. (D-CA), Xochitl Torres Small (D-NM), Rick Larsen (D-WA), and Jesús G. “Chuy” García (D-IL). FDA Approves First Rapid 'Point-Of-Care' Coronavirus Test That Can Give Results in 45 Minutes By Georgia Slater March 21, 2020 05:15 PM The tests will begin to ship next week with plans of using the product by the end of the month Molecular diagnostics company Cepheid received emergency approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Saturday to use its first rapid point- of-care test to detect the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). The test, named SAR-CoV-2 Xpert Xpress, is designed to be given to patients at the point-of-care and can detect the virus that causes COVID-19 in 45 minutes — the fastest test to do so, according to a press release. While most tests have been known to take days, Cepheid explained that the latest option only takes a minute to prepare the cartridge with a patient sample and approximately 45 minutes to produce results, the Cepheid website states. “During this time of increased demand for hospital services, Clinicians urgently need an on-demand diag- nostic test for real-time management of patients being evaluated for admission to health-care facilities,” Dr. David Persing, Cheif Medical and Technology Officer at Cepheid, said. “An accurate test delivered close to the patient can be transformative — and help alleviate the pressure that the emergence of the 2019-nCoV outbreak has put on healthcare facilities that need to properly allocate their respiratory isolation resources,” Persing added. Cepheid will use its GeneXpert System to run the tests, of which there are more than 23,000 worldwide and 5,000 in the United States, the release noted. The GeneXpert Systems “do not require users to have specialty training to perform testing,” Cepheid President Warren Kocmond added. According to CNBC, the tests will begin to ship next week with plans of using the product by the end of the month. As of March 21, there have been at least 21,000 con- firmed cases of coronavirus in the United States and 267 deaths. President Donald Trump declared a national state of emergency in the U.S. on March 13 as the number of cases rises. However, the true number of cases is unknown, largely due to a delay in available testing kits from the government. Epidemiologists have said that Americans need to start practicing “social distancing” — staying inside as much as possible and keeping about 6 feet of distance from people — to limit the chance of asymptomatic people spreading the coronavirus further. The CDC also says the best prevention methods are basic forms of hygiene — careful handwashing, avoid- ing touching the face, moving away from people who are coughing or sneezing and staying home at signs of illness. COVID-19 reported cases so far www.healthline.com Globally, more than 303,000 people have contracted the virus in 167 countries and regions. More than 12,000 deaths have occurred. U.S. cases have now topped 24,000 with 285 deaths. Cases have been found in all 50 states. Due to limited testing supplies, health experts believe the number of U.S. people with the disease is likely much higher. Here's everything you need to know about social dis- tancing By Scottie Andrew/Updated 5:17 PM ET, Sat March 21, 2020 To stop the spread of coronavirus, health officials have instructed the public to practice social distancing -- staying home, avoiding crowds and refraining from touching one another. Although living like that can be lonely, inconvenient and even frightening, it's for the greater good, says Danielle Ompad, an associate professor at New York University's School of Global Public Health. "It's uncomfortable," she told CNN. "But it requires us to be good citizens. People have to learn how to think about the collective rather than the individual." To help you do that, we answered your biggest ques- tions about social distancing: Public life Can I go to the grocery store? Yes. The grocery store is one of the few public places you can still go -- just be strategic about it. Dr. William Schaffner, a professor at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, suggests going to the store when you suspect less people will be shopping. This could be late at night or early in the morning. Make sure to thoroughly wash fruits and veggies after you buy them, and wash your hands after touching boxes and before eating. Can I order takeout? Sure can! There's no evidence that the virus can live in food, so whatever you eat should be safe.(Have one family member do the “Pick up” which is what we have in Parker.) Still, it's a good idea to disinfect the takeout containers and wash your hands afterward, says Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN Chief Medical Correspondent. Ordering takeout also helps restau- rants and delivery drivers who may be losing money during the pandemic. Dr. Celine Gounder, an infec- tious disease specialist at Bellevue Hospital Center, suggests paying and tipping online if possible and ask- ing the delivery person to leave your food outside the door to avoid interaction. If I still need to work, how can I keep myself safe? Practice as much social distancing as your work allows. Wash your hands constantly, and if your occupation requires it, wear a face mask. Can I go anywhere? Yes, a few places -- grocery stores, doctor's offices and some outdoor areas. But right now, staying home as much as possible is the best way to lower infection rates, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).Restaurants, places of worship, movie theaters, sports venues, museums and more have already started closing. Save a trip to these places until government and health officials say it's safe to visit. Can I still travel? Under most circumstances, you shouldn't. The US State Department issued a Level 4 "Do Not Travel" advisory, the most severe warning, urging Americans to cancel travel abroad. Airplanes, trains, buses and cruise ships can pack a lot of people in close quarters for long periods of time, which is a recipe for virus transmission. "I definitely don't suggest you visit sick or elderly fam- ily. CONTINUED PAGE 11