Congressman Norman talks COVID-19 over telephone town hall

Congressman Ralph Norman held a telephone town hall meeting on Friday evening discussing the virus outbreak and South Carolina’s ongoing efforts.

During the discussion, Norman provided an update on federal efforts to combat COVID-19.

“This one issue is overshadowing everything,” Norman said. “This situation is developing very fast. It’s changing by the minute. I know many of you are worried about this virus, and rightfully so because there’s a lot of information out there. Some of it is accurate, some of it is sensation and some of it is just harmful.”

Norman said his aim for the meeting was to give members of the Fifth Congressional District, which includes Sumter, clarity.

“As of now, Congress has responded in basically three phases,” Norman said.

The first phase consisted of a governmental supplement, which is $8.3 billion, which was sent to the agencies dealing with COVID-19, Norman said. The second phase was supposed to be a relief package for Americans affected by the virus. Norman said he had several issues with the bill and that he never got to read it, but he heard it would devastate small businesses and millions of Americans.

“It is what it is, and it passed,” Norman said about the bill. “One good news, it was altered after a lot of us raised Cain about it. A lot of the things that were changed were good things, particularly for small businesses.”

The third phase was an emergency stimulus package for families, workers and businesses. Norman said the content of this bill is still “up in the air,” and it is currently in the Senate. Once they pass it, the bill will move to the House of Representatives. Norman said the funding is expected to be more than $1 trillion.

“There’s a lot more to come as we work through this,” Norman said. “The government cannot meet this challenge by itself. This is a test of our resources. It’s a test of our community and whether we rise to this occasion. We’ll depend on our people.”

Norman was also joined by an infectious disease specialist, Arash Poursina, along with other experts from state agencies, including the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control, who shared their efforts and advice to fight COVID-19.

“Coronaviruses have been around for a very, very long time. Usually, they just cause a simple cold, and most people recover from them quite easily,” Poursina said. “What’s so special about this COVID-19 is that this is a new form of the coronavirus.”

Causing a virus pandemic, Poursina said COVID-19 is special because it’s putting the world’s elderly and those with underlying medical conditions at risk. It’s also special because the virus is highly contagious and tends to last on hard surfaces for an extended period of time, depending on the surface type.

With it being as highly contagious as it is, Poursina said social distancing and practicing good hygiene are the core principles in preventing the spread of the virus.

Norman and the health experts also took questions from callers throughout the telephone town hall, which ranged from a variety of topics.

One man asked whether officials are doing something to keep those who test positive for COVID-19 quarantined. He mentioned a woman who did test positive and continued to go out in the public, putting everyone in harm's way just because she didn’t want to be isolated.

“Even after a person may physically improve, they may continue to shed the virus,” a health expert said. “It’s very, very important for a person who has the disease to self-quarantine themselves and avoid spreading the virus any further.”

Another expert added that when there is a confirmed case, they contact the individual with an official order to quarantine themselves. He also mentioned that if they find out people did violate the isolation orders, they can be sued by the person they infect.

Another question came from a restaurant owner who had to close his business down because the carry-out option was not enough to sustain operations. He said restaurant owners feel targeted because they were restricted while other businesses haven’t been.

Norman said restaurants went first because the job is a hands-on workplace, which would only spread the virus more. He also added the virus has affected the airline industry and more as time passes.

"I'm in the real estate business, and it's been a severe hardship for everybody," Norman said. "The waitresses. I feel particularly sorry for them because they survive on tips."