U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand responds to COVID pandemic at Cornell
ITHACA, N.Y. (WENY) - U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand visited Cornell University Friday afternoon to call for the creation of a coordinated COVID-19 response network.
Senator Gillibrand hopes to deliver on the Pandemic Response Centers of Excellence Act. The bill plans to provide funding for academic medical centers such as Cornell University, to help them be on the forefront of COVID-19 combating resources.
“They combine broad scientific expertise with clinical experience as they partner with government, public health, and private industry to stay at the forefront of science and medicine,” Gillibrand said. “They have the theoretical and practical knowledge to help us combat COVID and future pandemics and health crises.”
Cornell’s College of Veterinary Medicine has used their resources so far to study the changing structure of the virus. Dean Lorin Warnick highlighted the progress scientists have made.
“Researchers working in the labs in the facilities behind us and out in the field are looking at sars-cov-2 virus’ structure,” Warnick said. “They're identifying variants, they're looking for new vaccine technologies, and they’re evaluating the susceptibility of potential animal hosts that could play a role in transmission.”
The number of COVID hospitalizations in Tompkins County has jumped 18% over the last two weeks. County legislator Shawna Black says Gillibrand’s proposal would help Tompkins be even further prepared to manage the virus.
“Anytime Cornell opens its doors and engages with a larger community, it helps our community,” Black said. “Cornell, as well as our health department, have been partners in providing testing as well as preparing our constituents for battling the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The legislation Gillibrand is promoting also has bipartisan support in the House of Representatives.
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