July 31, 2016
Zika: Coming To A Vacation Near You
Zika virus has been creeping north for months, but Florida authorities now believe it’s settling into a comfy home in Miami. The virus, known for causing microcephaly in newborns and general terror in everyone else, became a global health emergency and the ruination of many a vacation. Governor Rick Scott said that active transmission of the virus was occurring within an area of Miami about the size of a square mile. So far, we know at least one woman and three men had been infected locally. US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said there is no need for pregnant women to panic or avoid Miami yet, but the doctors that went door-to-door to alert an estimated 30,000 residents on Saturday tell a different story. CDC anticipates additional cases of “homegrown” Zika in the coming weeks.
How is the government responding?
The same way they did when the virus spread across the Americas: by canceling their vacations. Senate Democrats called on Congress to end its recess and immediately approve emergency funds to combat the Zika virus in the States. Florida Senator Bill Nelson demanded that Congress reconvene and release emergency funding, which lawmakers tried to do earlier this year but failed, prompting VP hopeful Tim Kaine to blurt out, “This is why people hate Congress.” Sure, we were all thinking it, but those words may come back to haunt him. The issue went unresolved just in time for the seven-week recess that began in June, coincidently the same time mosquito season starts in North America. Bravo, Congress.
