What would we have done to prepare for COVID-19 six months ago if we had a crystal ball? We now have the benefit of hindsight to plan for a possible new surge of infections this fall. The state still has hundreds of millions of dollars in CARES Act funding to be appropriated.
How should we spend it?
Over the past several weeks, state leaders have had to make difficult spending decisions with limited time and information. We must proceed with transparency, efficiency and forward-looking strategies for how we spend the public’s money.
The best way to jumpstart our economy and help small businesses get going again is to strengthen our public health system. Utah business owners understand that simply “opening up” the economy again won’t bring back customers or clients if they think it’s still not safe to go out. Employees expect safe workplaces for themselves and for their families.
Here are some public health priorities we think the state should advance to get all of us through the rest of this crisis:
• Expand active disease testing, antibody testing and contact tracing. We must increase our capacity to identify infected people and to trace, contact, test, isolate and monitor those who have recently been near them. We must hire and train sufficient numbers of contact tracers to expand surge capacity. We must also ramp up antibody testing with valid sampling methods so Utahns can understand the extent of their exposure. This all must be done with efficiency and transparency.
• Keep this crisis from spiraling. Many families are making tough choices about which bills to pay each month. Dependent care, for both children and the elderly, has consumed more resources than usual and is leaving Utah families and small businesses vulnerable as the crisis continues. We must provide assistance with unemployment, food, housing, health care — including mental health care costs — and special relief with as little bureaucratic red tape as possible.
• Improve outreach to our most vulnerable populations. When it comes to public health in this pandemic, we are only as safe from the virus as the most vulnerable among us. The state needs to continue supporting underserved communities: messaging in multiple languages about health protection and health promotions; coordinating care for individuals who are ill or with known exposure; expanding access to water sources for Utah households in the Navajo Nation; expanding cellular service in San Juan County; and mobilizing trained staff and volunteers to support health education, care coordination, contact tracing.
• Increase funding for prevention of domestic violence and child abuse related to stay-at-home orders. Utah has seen a spike of domestic violence cases since the pandemic began. We must support social service providers, shelters, and victim advocates where they are managing quarantine and isolation for families in crisis from COVID-19.
• Temporarily expand WIC, other food security programs, and housing resources. To help low-income Utahns cope with this crisis, the state should temporarily expand WIC eligibility (and SNAP) from 185% of the federal poverty level to 200% or 250% of FPL. In addition, we should temporarily expand WIC benefits to households with elementary school-age children to make up for loss of school breakfast and lunch, and provide rent assistance for low income families at extreme risk of eviction and homelessness.
• Plan for future vaccination programs. We need to be ready as soon as a proven vaccine for COVID-19 is available. Health care workers, public health workers, first responders, high risk populations, contacts of cases, etc., should receive first priority. This summer is the time to prepare for personnel training, supply chain management, identification and readiness of distribution sites.
Utah will get people and businesses back to work more quickly and securely if we invest and prepare now. Public health and safety are essential for a sustained economic recovery, and it is critical we make wise and transparent spending decisions going forward.
The Utah House Democratic Caucus, Rep. Patrice Arent, Rep. Joel Briscoe, Rep. Jennifer Dailey-Provost, Rep. Susan Duckworth, Rep. Suzanne Harrison, Rep. Sandra Hollins, Rep. Karen Kwan, Rep. Brian King, Rep. Stephanie Pitcher, Rep. Marie Poulson, Rep. Angela Romero, Rep. Carol Spackman Moss, Rep. LaWanna “Lou” Shurtliff, Rep. Andrew Stoddard, Rep. Elizabeth Weight and Rep. Mark Wheatley.
