COVID-19: Doug Jones supports coverage of testing, direct payments to individuals

Mar. 17--U.S. Sen. Doug Jones on Tuesday said he supports multiple efforts to address of the COVID-19 outbreak, ranging from coverage of testing for the illness to direct economic payments to ease the economic toll of the pandemic.

"Everything right now is on the table," Jones said in a conference call with Alabama reporters on Tuesday morning. "We want to make sure people survive."

The Senate is in session this week to consider a package of legislative proposals to address the toll the outbreak is taking on public health and the economy. COVID-19 causes mild to moderate flu- and pneumonia-like illnesses in those young and relatively healthy, though some experts caution it is still more intense than the average cold or flu for many patients.

But it can be deadly, particularly in those older than 60 or with pre-existing health conditions, and young people may be transmitting the virus without even knowing it, says Alabama Emergency Management Agency Director Brian Hastings.

There are also rising concerns about how equipped American hospitals are to handle large influxes of cases, as currently seen in Italy. Extreme cases that require ongoing medical treatment often require ventilators, which hospitals have a limited supply of.

Jones on Tuesday said he shared those concerns, particularly the lack of ventilators and the lack of testing equipment. Alabama had 36 confirmed cases of the illness as of Tuesday morning, but the numbers are likely higher.

"The problem is the tests are not available," Jones said. "They are simply not available. We've got public and private sector working around the clock to produce more equipment."

"If you're not sick, if you don't have respiratory issues, hold back on getting a test," he said. "We have to have swabs and equipment to do it and we don't have all that just yet."

Jones also said he supported measures to ensure health care workers have access to child care during the outbreak. He also suggested the state should look into reopening shuttered rural hospitals, saying that UAB in Birmingham was at 90% capacity before the outbreak.

"It will be difficult getting them up and running, getting them clean, getting them equipped with sheets," he said. "That would be a lot. But I would like to think we would be able to do that."

In recent days, senators in both parties have expressed support for making direct payments to individuals and families as public life in the United States grinds to a halt in the face of the outbreak. Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, has proposed a $1,000 payment to families; several Democratic senators suggested a $4,500. Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin said Tuesday morning the administration was looking at sending direct payments "in the next two weeks," though he did not name a figure or a process for how that might be achieved.

Jones said he supported some kind of monthly payment to help distressed families, though he said Tuesday he did not yet know what kind of a level would be effective.

"I think it has to be something graduated, based on income," he said. "There are people in the country with cash reserves we don't need to provide assistance to. I'm hoping we can do this on a three-month basis, take stock of where we are and get this thing blunted."

The senator also reiterated his support for attempts in Alabama to postpone the March 31 runoff, which includes a high-profile contest between former U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions and former Auburn football coach Tommy Tuberville, both seeking the Republican nomination to challenge Jones in the November election. He also urged the adoption of mail-in voting to improve participation in the process.

Jones also levied criticism at President Donald Trump, who had played down the risks of the illness for several weeks.

"People on Facebook or Twitter or anything should ignore everything the President of the United States said before yesterday," Jones said on Tuesday. "Yesterday was the first time we've seen seriousness and accurate information coming from someone other than Dr. (Anthony) Fauci."

Contact Montgomery Advertiser reporter Brian Lyman at 334-240-0185 or blyman@gannett.com.

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