By Ana Martinez-Ortiz
In times of trouble, a nation and its people turn to its leader for guidance. When the COVID-19 pandemic began, every nation looked towards its leaders to steer them through it.
In America, the response from the White House has often been criticized as slow coming or worse, directed towards corporations instead of people.
However, leaders across the country have stepped up and issued plans for their state or city. Likewise, Joe Biden, the Democratic candidate for the 2020 election, recently released his plan of attack to beat the COVID-19 pandemic.
If elected president, Biden intends to take action against COVID-19 right away. His plan consists of five basic elements: test and trace, sufficient personal protective equipment for all, science-based treatments and vaccines, steps to reopen safely and effectively and protecting those at high-risk such as older Americans.
Congresswoman Gwen Moore and Ald. JoCasta Zamarripa held a press conference about Biden’s COVID-19 plan on Thursday, July 2.
Moore noted that when the pandemic first began, Biden was one of the few voices “crying out in the wilderness” about the pandemic. If Biden was president, America would be in a different place both economically and with the number of cases, she said.
“When the history books are written this is going to be called a depression not a recession,” Moore said.
Zamarripa added that between Biden and Trump, only one of them can be considered a leader that can be trusted.
“Trump continues to fail,” she said.
So far, Milwaukee County has recorded a total of 11,672 positive cases and 355 deaths.
Milwaukee has seen a high number of cases among the African American and Latinx population. Moore noted that at first the virus seemed almost racist, but in reality, it’s targeting the poor who may lack health care and are at a higher risk for disease.
Zamarripa added that the Latinx population is 15% of Milwaukee and only 7% of the state, but it is seeing a spike in the number of cases. A lot of Latinx people are essential workers, she said.
Biden’s plan is to increase access to free and reliable testing for everyone and increase the amount of personal protective equipment so that anyone can have access to it. Biden wants to secure paid leave for any workers who is sick or who is taking care of a loved one. He also wants to create a “Safer for Shoppers.”
The program will help shoppers know what stores have done to decrease the risk of exposure. Another part of his plan is a restart package for small business owners that will allow them to retain workers and cover the costs of restarting.
Biden’s plan also targets older adults, who are part of the high-risk population. He wants to reopen the Nationwide Pandemic Dashboard so people can see if local transmission is happening in their neighborhoods. Additionally, by increasing testing capacity he hopes that people in nursing homes and other care facilities will be able to receive visitors.
As the pandemic continues and the election draws nearer, Americans will be asked to make a choice.
In her parting words, Moore said, “This pandemic is showing the clear differences between the two candidates.”
To view Biden’s plan in more detail, visit joebiden.com/beat-covid19/.