WASHINGTON – Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema urged the administration to implement a national testing and contact tracing strategy to help stop the spread of coronavirus, protect Arizonans from future waves of the virus, and ensure Arizona can safely reopen its economy.
“Robust testing and the ability to trace the spread of the coronavirus are critical to re-opening our economy, getting Arizonans back to work, and ensuring the health and safety of all Arizonans,” said Sinema.
Read Sinema’s full letter HERE.
Recent data indicates Arizona is among the worst in the nation for administering COVID-19 tests per capita. Sinema recently urged FEMA to increase the distribution of coronavirus tests to states based on population. Sinema also recently urged the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to implement a robust contact tracing system to protect Arizonans from the spread of the coronavirus and future pandemics.
In the recent Congressionally-approved coronavirus package, Sinema helped secure $310 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program, $60 billion for smaller, disadvantaged businesses, $60 billion for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) and grants, $75 billion for health care providers, and $25 billion for testing, including $11 billion directly to states. Sinema also helped secure a number of priorities in the sweeping coronavirus-response CARES Act law, including a $150 billion relief fund for state, local, and Tribal governments, $55 billion more in investments in hospitals and health care workers, and an increase in unemployment benefits. Sinema also recently wrote an op-ed outlining Arizona needs she is working to include in the next coronavirus-response legislation.
Sinema has also added a resources page to her website, www.sinema.senate.gov/corona, for Arizonans looking for the latest information on coronavirus.
