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Rep. Ruiz: Coronavirus stimulus holdup could exacerbate health disparities

Axios' Caitlin Owens (left) and Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-Calif.). Photo: Axios

Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-Calif.) said Wednesday that not passing another coronavirus stimulus package has left holes in state and local infrastructure to adequately fight the pandemic.

Driving the news: This week President Trump ended coronavirus stimulus negotiations with Congress until after the election. Districts with communities of color have desperately needed the aid.

The big picture: The lack of fully funding a public health mitigation program is causing farm workers and Latino communities to especially suffer, said Ruiz, a physician who practiced emergency medicine before his election to Congress.

  • "If you just have testing, you do not have the contact tracing, then you are wasting your money on just testing," he told Axios' Caitlin Owens.
  • "If you have testing, and contact tracing but you don’t support the working families that can’t self-quarantine at home from staying away from their loved ones so they don’t spread this infection to others, then you’re not fully addressing the problem."

Watch the event, Axios' Motivating Change: Solving for Health Equities, online at Axios.com.

Go deeper

Axios
Updated 6 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Omicron dashboard

Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios

  1. Health: Coronavirus variant surveillance varies widely by state — Omicron cases confirmed in 5 U.S. states — America probably won't lead the effort to understand Omicron.
  2. Vaccines: Omicron adds urgency to vaccinating world — Omicron fuels the case for COVID boosters — Moderna loses patent battles tied to COVID vaccine — Pfizer could have vaccine data for children under five by end of 2021, CEO says.
  3. Politics: Nevada to impose insurance surcharge on unvaccinated state workers — New Jersey GOP lawmakers defy statehouse COVID policy — Oklahoma sues Biden administration over Pentagon vaccine mandate — Omicron travel bans are sign of what's to come.
  4. World: WHO: Delta health measures help fight Omicron — COVID cases surge in South Africa in sign Omicron wave is coming — Germany approves new restrictions for unvaccinated people.
  5. Variant tracker: Where different strains are spreading.
Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow
Rebecca Falconer
Jan 14, 2021 - Health

WHO team arrives in China to investigate pandemic origins

Health workers at a cordoned-off section of the international airport in Wuhan, China, as the World Health Organization team arrives on Thursday. Photo: Nicolas Asfouri/AFP via Getty Images

A World Health Organization team of researchers arrived in Wuhan, China, Thursday ahead of their investigation into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Driving the news: Dominic Dwyer, a Sydney virologist based who's among the scientists on the visit, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation they don't expect to find a "patient zero." "But we may have a much better indication of whether the virus truly started in Wuhan," he said.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow
Axios
Jan 14, 2021 - Health

Coronavirus deaths climbing while country deals with political unrest

Expand chart
Data: The COVID Tracking Project; Map: Andrew Witherspoon/Axios

Coronavirus deaths continue to reach tragic heights while the country grapples with a vaccine rollout, an impeachment and ongoing civil unrest.

Go deeper (<1 min. read)Arrow

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