| ICYMI: Congressman Allen Holds Coronavirus Telephone Town Hall |
AUGUSTA, Ga. – Congressman Rick W. Allen (GA-12) held a telephone town hall Wednesday night to answer questions from residents of Georgia's 12th District about the coronavirus outbreak. Dr. Brooks Keel, President of Augusta University, joined Congressman Allen to provide an update on testing in the state. For those who were unable to participate in the call, here are some of the highlights:
May in Dublin asked about COVID-19 symptoms.
Dr. Keel: “The best way to tell you how people typically feel when they have the virus is they have flu-like symptoms.
“If you feel like you have the flu, a real bad cold, or just have the chills, call the hotline number at (706) 721-1852. If you have internet or a smart phone, you can download the AU ExpressCare app and you’ll be in contact with a healthcare provider in no time.”
Gary in Augusta asked how to receive help applying for the SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program.
Congressman Allen: “Call our office and we will get in touch with you. This goes for any of our small businesses having trouble accessing these loans. Our Augusta office is (706) 228-1980, please call us and we are happy to help you with that.”
Tammy in Hazlehurst asked about testing in rural areas and when to expect results.
Dr. Keel: “Governor Kemp has made it a priority to get testing to as many Georgians who want testing, regardless of your zip code. We are working feverishly to get that.
“The few ways you can get a test is to call your local Department of Health, call the hotline or use the AU ExpressCare app and they will schedule you to get your test done. The test will go to the lab as close to you as we can get… We are typically getting test results back in 48-72 hours, or 2-3 days… If you have had a test taken or know someone who has, and have not heard back in 3-4 days, contact who gave you your test. If you don’t have internet to get your results online, we have been calling people. So if you had a test done, please make sure to answer your phone even if you don’t recognize that number.”
Carl in Augusta asked how Congress will ensure state and local funding goes directly to addressing COVID-19.
Congressman Allen: “I’m going to Washington to vote against exactly what you’re saying. Speaker Pelosi has introduced a $3 trillion partisan bill and a lot of this funding isn’t related to addressing COVID-19. It’s 1,800 pages and didn’t go through committee. All we knew was that Speaker Pelosi wasn’t calling us back to Washington to negotiate for a reason… her partisan agenda. It’s a bailout of states that were frankly mismanaged prior to COVID-19 like New York, New Jersey and California…Taxpayers don’t want to give grants to states that are mismanaged.”
For more information and a list of coronavirus resources, visit Congressman Allen’s COVID-19 page at allen.house.gov/covid-19. To learn more about the AU ExpressCare App for virtual screenings, click here.
|
|
|
