Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - With locations like the Jacobs School of Medicine at the University of Buffalo in mind, US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand was in Buffalo Friday pushing for the creation of COVID-19 pandemic response centers.
The COVID-19 and Pandemic Response Centers of Excellence Act would deliver funding to establish centers at academic medical centers like the University at Buffalo's across the country.
Gillibrand says the rapid spread of the highly contagious Omicron variant in Erie County and elsewhere highlights the need for federal investments that would provide direct support to emergency response preparedness in advance of the next crisis.
Over the past two weeks, Gillibrand states newly reported COVID-19 cases in Erie County have increased by 296%, and the county's high test positivity rate indicates that cases could still be significantly undercounted.
The proposed legislation would improve the ability to swiftly respond to new variants by authorizing the Department of Health and Human Services to designate eligible academic medical centers as "Centers of Excellence" to address COVID–19.
The legislation would authorize $500,000,000 total for the program and would provide $10,000,000 to at least ten academic medical centers for real-time response efforts to COVID-19 and for future pandemic preparedness.
"This bill....fits perfectly with so much of the work that we are doing here," said Jacobs School Vice President for Health Sciences Dr. Allison Brashear. "This legislation is a comprehensive approach to addressing the current pandemic and to prepare us for the future."
