Lawmaker and Advocates Say $40 Million Allocation Toward Fighting Coronavirus(COVID-19) Should Be Put Towards the Most Affected Neighborhoods for Medical Expenses and Economy Recovery
On March 4, 2020, CAIPA President & CEO, Dr. George Liu, attended the press conference in Flushing, Queens where Assemblymember Ron Kim announced the passage of bill through both houses of the New York State Legislature.
Kim was the first legislator to co-sponsor the measure, which secures $40 million in funding to protect New Yorkers from the threat of a COVID-19 outbreak, and led its passage through the Assembly after much debate. The lawmaker first proposed the creation of an emergency grant to combat the COVID-19 nearly a month ago on February 7, 2020, when he created the Asian-American Health Advisory Council with several New York-based professional medical associations, including CAIPA. Though the long-term plan of the body is to address pressing local health concerns on a regular basis, its most pressing priority since its recent formation has been addressing the challenges posed by COVID-19.
One of the most important and direct uses of the $40 million allocations will be to ensure adequate testing and treatment for any and all patients affected by the Coronavirus. Kim and several of the medical association leaders present stressed the need to direct it towards the health centers and hospitals that may deal with the most patients potentially experiencing COVID-19-related symptoms.
The Assemblyman was also joined by Charles Yoon, President of the Korean American Association of Greater New York, and Peter Tu, Executive Director of the Flushing Chinese Business Association. Together, they strongly encouraged Governor Cuomo to allocate part of the new funding for economic recovery and relief for small businesses. In districts like Flushing, small businesses have lost 50-60% of their revenues.
