‘Pandemic Is Far From Over’: People’s CDC Tells Congress to Fund Covid Response

A progressive coalition called the People’s CDC on Tuesday criticized the federal government for releasing a “horrifying set” of relaxed public health guidelines earlier this month and urged lawmakers to allocate sufficient funding to ensure that everyone has free access to masks, tests, treatments, vaccines, and other resources needed to defeat Covid-19.

“The pandemic is far from over,” the People’s CDC said in a statement, pointing to hundreds of Covid deaths per day in the U.S. alone, rising child hospitalizations, and a report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showing that roughly 20% of adults develop long-term symptoms or complications after being infected, often called Long Covid.

Besides, the letter denounces “the disgraceful new CDC Covid guidelines” published on August 11. “Four hundred people are dying daily in the U.S. alone. Thousands are becoming severely and chronically ill from preventable diseases. Due to the constant evolution of new Covid variants, the U.S. has been in a surge—currently seeing high or substantial transmission in 99% of U.S. counties—since early June.”

“The guidelines place the responsibility of public health onto individuals, without providing individuals [with] proper resources or support,” says the letter. “This is unacceptable. We need responsible, clear CDC guidelines that will keep our communities and our loved ones safe.”

Moreover, the letter implores the White House and Congress “to act to stop the unchecked spread of Covid-19, immediately,” by providing:

• Free access to N95-grade masks for all;
• Free access to PCR and rapid testing;
• Robust, universal, paid sick leave;
• Mask mandates in public places, including schools, public transport and medical facilities;
• Federal funding and guidance for ventilation and filtration updates, coupled with meaningful regulation;
• Universal access to healthcare including continued Covid treatment and testing for uninsured people; and
• Updated vaccines and universal access to them globally.

The letter comes just days after the Biden administration announced that it plans to suspend the distribution of free at-home diagnostic tools on Friday, September 2 “because Congress hasn’t provided additional funding to replenish the nation’s stockpile of tests.”

Just over a week ago, it was revealed that the Biden administration is taking steps to stop purchasing Covid-19 vaccines and treatments in the coming months.

Shifting the acquisition of Covid-19 jabs and therapeutics from the federal government to the commercial market is also the result of congressional inaction—specifically right-wing obstructionism.

Experts have warned that a coronavirus surge this fall and winter could infect up to 100 million people in the U.S. alone, leading to one million hospitalizations and almost 200,000 deaths in a worst-case scenario.

People in the U.S. have died from Covid-19 at a significantly higher rate than their counterparts in other wealthy nations—and poor counties in the U.S. have suffered twice as many deaths as rich ones.

Originally published at Commondreams.org.