Congressman Kim Holds Call with New Jersey Health Care Leaders
on Coronavirus Second Wave

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Andy Kim (NJ-03) convened health care leaders from across New Jersey for a briefing on the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and to discuss ways the federal government could better support local health care and hospital leaders.

“Our local health care leaders, doctors and nurses are on the frontlines of this pandemic, and it is important that decisions we make in Congress to help put an end to this crisis are guided by the facts and experts on the ground,” said Congressman Kim. “I want to thank everyone who joined for their hard work in keeping our communities safe and healthy. We will get through this crisis in large part because of the incredible public health experts who have put so much on the line to save lives.” 

Joining the Congressman on the call were leaders from the Burlington County Health Departments, Jefferson Health, Virtua Health System, Hackensack Meridian Health, Cooper Health System, and RWJBarnabas Health.

Issues discussed on the call included: concerns about case numbers rising and increased hospitalizations, hospital capacity, testing capacity and test turn-around time, and concerns about vaccine acceptance and distribution once approved.

Last Month, Congressman Kim introduced two bills aimed at increasing preparedness for future waves of COVID-19. The bills, which would help states implement early warning systems to detect growing cases of COVID-19 and would create an online clearinghouse to help frontline and essential workers get PPE, come as states across the country are seeing massive spikes in cases of the coronavirus. The two bills are informed by the ‘The Way Forward: Preparing America for a Second Wave’, a set of recommendations and findings by Congressman Kim for public health leaders and public officials to prepare for future waves of COVID-19. The full report can be found on Congressman Kim’s website by clicking here. Congressman Kim discussed the report and answered questions about second wave preparedness during his October telephone town hall.

Congressman Kim is a member of the bipartisan House Select Committee on the Coronavirus Crisis, where he serves as one of twelve members of the House tasked with conducting oversight over programs aimed at ending the Coronavirus pandemic and helping address the economic impact it’s having on the American people. Congressman Kim is also a member of the House Armed Services Committee and the House Committee on Small Business. More information about Congressman Kim can be found on his website by clicking here.