All of North Carolina’s congressional delegates voted to approve an $8.3 billion spending bill to combat the spread of the new coronavirus in the United States.
The bill approved by the Senate Thursday and the House on Wednesday also provides money for research and vaccine development. The spending package now goes to President Donald Trump, who is expected to sign it in to law.
The funding comes at a time when fear of the virus that first was identified in Wuhan, China, in December and is now being spread throughout the world, begins to creep into Southeastern North Carolina. That fear was intensified when Gov. Roy Cooper said Tuesday that a person from Wake County tested positive for COVID-19 after traveling to Washington state and visiting a long-term care facility where a case of the disease was reported.
There have been no new cases of COVID-19 reported in North Carolina, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. The department does not report unconfirmed cases.
The news is even better for Robeson County.
“Robeson has had no cases, and no one is being monitored at this time,” Bill Smith, county Health Department director, said Thursday.
The U.S. Senate approved the funding bill on a vote of 96 to 1. Sen. Thom Tillis, a Republican rom North Carolina, was one of the bill’s supporters.
“I worked on a bipartisan basis to build support for this $8.3 billion package to provide federal, state and local partners the resources they need for a comprehensive response,” Tillis said. “I will continue to work to keep North Carolinians up to date and ensure we have the support and assistance we need to combat the coronavirus.”
The senator said he helped secure at least $13 million for North Carolina to be used for emergency preparedness.
The bill also includes:
— $3.4 billion to assist in procurement of medical supplies for federal and state response efforts; vaccine, therapeutics, and diagnostics research and development; and hospital and health system preparedness.
— $950 million to go to state, local and tribal governments, with half of the funding being allocated to cities, states and tribes within 30 days of the legislation’s enactment.
— $490 million to provide Medicare beneficiaries with better access to remote/telehealth services.
The House approved the funding package on a 415-2 vote. Rep. Dan Bishop, whose 9th Congressional District covers Robeson County, voted yes, with reservations.
“While I had concerns about the large bill given America’s increasing debt, I ultimately supported this measure to ensure the health and safety of those in North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District,” the Republican said. “I am confident in the (Trump) administration’s commitment to preventing the spread and support this bipartisan effort to combat COVID-19.”
According to Bishop, the bill directs $2.2 billion to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention so the agency can craft a “robust response.” State and local response efforts are supported by $1 billion of that money.
As of Thursday, 99 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in 13 states, according to the CDC. Ten deaths related to the virus have been reported.
