COVID-19 Response

As a nation and as a state we are witnessing the worst public health crisis in recent history. Of course, I’m talking about the Corona Virus or COVID-19 pandemic that has sent shockwaves throughout the world. As of 6/7/2020, the total world caseload stands at 6.9 million cases with over 400,000 deaths. The scale of this pandemic is unimaginable. Of those 6.9 million cases almost 2 million of them are in the US alone the US also has over 100,000 deaths of ¼ of the total death count. The US stands comfortably ahead of the rest of the world in Corona Virus cases. Florida thankfully does not have the worst COVID-19 outbreak but still, our confirmed caseload sits at 64,000 with over 2,5000 deaths. This virus is not a Chinese hoax or Chinese manufactured. It is a public health emergency and we should treat it as such.

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                My campaign’s plan to do so is as follows:

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• Statewide lockdown until COVID-19 pandemic has passed

  • ​A statewide lockdown would order Floridians to remain at home unless it is a necessity. Essentially all travel outside of acquiring groceries, food, medicine, and other essentials will be highly discouraged. The purpose of a lockdown or stay at home order is to flatten the curve. Meaning that if we limit the amount of interaction between people the virus will spread slower. Lockdowns and stay at home orders to not prevent the virus but it does keep the caseload under a manageable level so that our healthcare system can handle the amount of COVID-19 cases as well as treat other patients. While self-quarantining is inconvenient, challenging, and stressful we must stand together as Floridians to protect each other from the dangers of COVID-19.

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• Require masks to be worn when entering public spaces

  • Masks or facial coverings are essential to slowing the spread of COVID-19. One of the most effective vectors of transmission is from the aerosolized infected respiratory fluid that enters the world through coughing, sneezing, breathing, and talking. Masks act as a semi-permeable covering that either stopped large droplets in their tracks or slows the exit velocity of smaller droplets limiting their ability to infect others. Any facial covering medical grade or not reduces the infectivity of the virus which is why they should be required to wear in public spaces for the duration of the virus. The state of Florida and local municipalities should do everything in their power to make inexpensive high-quality facial coverings available to their residents.

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• Temporary closure of all non-essential business

  • Essential businesses are ones that the public rely on in their day-to-day life. This includes banks, hospitals, supermarkets, pharmacies, gas stations, and post offices. They carry supplies necessary for survival. In contrast, non-essential businesses are those that people frequent for pleasure, like gyms, bars, restaurants, movie theaters, museums, and concert halls. Many non-essential businesses are hubs of social interaction further increasing transmission rates of COVID-19.

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• Invest in expanded ventilator, hospital bed, and PPE capacities 

  • While we must flatten the curve of infected individuals, we should also work to increase the capacity and job quality of our healthcare system. The state of Florida must purchase ventilators to expand out intensive care capacity for COVID-19 patients in critical condition. Furthermore, we must expand the amount of COVID-19-free hospital beds, leaving COVID-19 patients in the hospitals close to necessary life-saving equipment. The state of Florida and local municipalities must invest in erecting field hospitals in large open areas (such as empty lots and football fields) for patient intake and non-critical patients to limit transmission of COVID-19 within hospitals. Also, Florida healthcare workers deserve increased hazard pay and all the necessary equipment to do their jobs such as PPE.

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• Cancel monthly payments including rent, mortgages, utilities, and credit cards while also outlawing evictions and foreclosures for the duration of the pandemic

  • These are tumultuous times in the US we are currently dealing with a three-pronged crisis. Including the worst public health crisis in 100 years, the highest level of civil and social unrest in the US in 50 years, on top of and economic and financial crisis like none we’ve faced before coupled with over 16% unemployment (40+ million people). We must take radical measures to handle this radical time and we must protect regular working-class Floridians. Our campaign plans on doing that by helping ease the financial burden on Floridians. In this time of unemployment, we must protect families that cannot pay their rent, mortgages, utilities, and credit card payments. Our campaign understands that in this unprecedented time we must be empathetic and understanding of our constituents' needs. No Floridian should have to worry about losing their home or having their lights shut off right now. As a state, we must make this a reality.

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We will survive this COVID-19 pandemic but it will forever change this nation. This is a turning point in history we cannot ignore. Floridians must come together and be on the right side of history and ease the bumps in the road as we weather this pandemic and as we transition into a new America.