Gov. Scott: $5M More For Zika Fight In Miami-Dade
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MIAMI BEACH (CBSMiami) — Miami-Dade County is getting $5 million more in the fight against the spread of the Zika virus, Florida Gov. Rick Scott said Monday.
The newly allocated state funding will be used for preps, mosquito control and community outreach.
Earlier in the day, officials pressed for more federal resources in the fight.
U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz - joined by Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine, business leaders, and health care professionals - called on Congress to return from their break and pass a funding measure.
Zika 101: Prevent Spread By Protecting Yourself
Six months ago President Barack Obama asked Congress to approve $1.9 billion in emergency funding to fight the virus. It was struck down along party lines. Two weeks ago the Obama administration announced the agencies overseeing the response to the Zika virus could run out of money by the end of September.
At Monday's news conference, Wasserman Schultz lashed out at Congress for taking an 11-week vacation while Florida, and the rest of the nation, face a Zika crisis.
"This is our we hate to say 'I told you so' moment, but we told you so," Wasserman Schultz told the gathering. "This would eventually happen and we kept saying it and kept saying it, and Republicans stuck their heads in the sand and here we are."
"Mosquitoes, Zika, it's not Republican and it's not Democrat, it's an issue that affects all of us. We need to come together as one," said Levine.
Concerns over fighting the Zika virus have spread across the political aisle.
"As the number of Zika cases expand throughout our community, it is imperative that South Florida has the resources necessary to halt and eradicate this disease. In this time of need, our community requires and deserves better than to get caught in the middle of a political fight; the threat presented by Zika is too great," said U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen in a statement.
The congresswoman said she's written letters to House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell urging them to immediately reconvene their respective legislative bodies and pass a comprehensive, stand-alone funding bill that meets the president's $1.9 billion request.
So far, 37 non-travel cases have been linked to a 1.5-mile section of Miami Beach and Miami's trendy Wynwood district. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a travel warning for pregnant women to avoid both areas.
Florida Gov. Rick Scott – who is taking heat for not briefing local leaders about Zika on the beach last week – was in Wynwood on Monday, visiting a middle school, which left Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine all the more bristling.
"I just wish you would come to Miami Beach, because Miami Beach, as you know, is one of the most important economic generators in the United States. So probably it's a good place to come visit if you're coming down here," Levine said.
Scott dodged questions about Levine's suggestion that he's used Zika to politically "grand stand."
"Every piece of information we put out is going to be accurate, and it's going to be timely," Scott said in response to questions from reporters.
Scott was again probed by a reporter late Monday evening.
"Two mayors criticized the lack of communication, can you talk about this?" the reporter asked.
"I've been holding round tables on Zika across the state since February. I went to Congress and asked for money, we put out information through DOH daily, we held round tables in Miami. Everyone has had the opportunity to communicate," Scott replied. "On Friday, we put out information on what was going on in Miami Beach, and we came down here, we will make sure it's accurate. I called Mayor Levine several times and did not receive a call back. My focus is to keep this state safe."
The governor insists he briefed local leaders on Zika at the beach, but that was only after his bombshell Friday news conference announcement.
Health risks aside, there is also the $11 billion Miami Beach tourism industry that has already seen visitor cancellations.
"To the extent, visitors don't visit here, half are international and half are domestic, people won't be working in the restaurants, they won't be working in the hotels, they won't be working ground transportation," said William Talbert the with Miami Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Click here for more information on the Zika virus or here for more Zika-related stories.
