WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV), a member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) released the following statement in response to reports that there has been a presumptive positive case of the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Nevada:
“I am grateful to our Nevada health officials who have been working diligently to care for and protect our community. My office has been briefed on the most recent developments regarding the first reported presumptive positive case of COVID-19 in Nevada,” dijo el Senador Rosen. “At this time, my office is actively monitoring the situation and is working with Governor Sisolak and Nevada’s Federal Delegation to ensure our state has all of the resources they need. My office continues to receive updates from public health officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as Administration officials from the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Health and Human Services, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and the Food and Drug Administration. My thoughts are with the patient and his family, and I will continue working in Congress and with our state government officials to ensure that the health and safety of all Nevadans is protected.”
BACKGROUND: On Tuesday, during a Senate HELP Committee hearing, Senator Rosen questioned health experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on the opportunity to utilize telehealth as a means of treatment for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Senator Rosen also expressed support for ensuring that health insurance limitations are not an obstacle to patients seeking telehealth care.
This week, Senator Rosen:
• Participated in a hearing as a member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on the federal response to COVID-19 and preparations for future global pandemics.
• Questioned witnesses from the Department of Transportation, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on the role of aviation in containing the spread of infectious diseases such as COVID-19 during a hearing hosted by the Senate Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Aviation and Space.
• Joined with colleagues in sending a number of letters to officials at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Department of Labor (DOL), the U.S. Census Bureau, and the Department of Education (ED), requesting information on how the departments will be responding to cases of the coronavirus.
Last week, representatives from Senator Rosen’s office attended a briefing with Governor Sisolak and members of Nevada’s public health community to discuss the state’s preparedness for potential cases of coronavirus in Nevada.
Last month, Senator Rosen joined her colleagues in sending a letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar requesting an update on the Administration’s response to the recent coronavirus outbreak.
Updates on the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as well as the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services can be found on the Senator’s webpage.
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