Texas lawmakers are demanding answers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about the premature release of a coronavirus patient in San Antonio.
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U.S. Senators Ted Cruz and John Cornyn sent a letter to the CDC expressing concern over the incident.
In a joint statement, the senators said:
“The health and safety of the people in Texas is our top priority. We need to take every necessary precaution to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus and protect lives, and to do so we need to understand the science and the facts from those on the frontlines in San Antonio, Texas, who bore the brunt of the quarantine. We will continue to push for answers from the CDC and work closely with Governor Abbott and Texas health officials to make sure more individuals do not become infected.”
Senator Ted Cruz, who is chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Aviation and Space, will hold a hearing Wednesday on the role commercial air travel plays in both spreading and containing coronavirus and what Congress can do to prevent further outbreaks.
Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) and Congressman Lloyd Doggett (TX-35) want Congress to intervene in the matter. They have requested the opening of an oversight investigation in the House Energy and Commerce Committee into the CDC’s protocols.
“The CDC has acted irresponsibly, failing to adequately prepare for—and respond to—the COVID-19 threat. In just their latest misstep, the CDC discharged into the San Antonio community a patient who tested positive for the virus. This is completely unacceptable,” Congressman Castro said.
Everything we know about the coronavirus, public health emergency in San Antonio
You can read the full text of the letters below:
E&C Committee Letter CD... by Julie Moreno on Scribd
Cornyn-Cruz CDC-SA Letter 0... by Julie Moreno on Scribd