During virtual event, McEachin proclaims 'light at the end of the tunnel' in COVID fight

Proclaiming there is “light at the end of the tunnel” following a year of COVID-19, U.S. Congressman A. Donald McEachin (VA-4th District) Thursday highlighted during a virtual press conference Congress’s recent passage of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

McEachin was joined by City of Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney and City of Petersburg Mayor Samuel Parham to discuss the passage of the act and other COVID-related topics.

President Joe Biden signed the COVID-19 relief package into law Thursday, introducing resources to increase vaccination, to send out stimulus checks to citizens, to put children back in school and to restore jobs lost to the pandemic.

"For a year now folks have lived with the fear of illness — and even death — for themselves or a family member," McEachin said. "Too many jobs have been lost. Too many Americans and Virginians right in my district have lost their jobs, and they worried that they won't be able to keep their homes. And they even worry about where their next meal will come from.

"But I'm happy to report that there is light at the end of the tunnel. We can all begin to imagine a time when life will return to a better approximation of normal."

The act includes a comprehensive plan to fight the pandemic that will increase supplies, testing and vaccinations across the country while addressing the racial inequities that have prevented many from getting the help they need. Schools also will be receiving aid to help serve all of their students, whether they are in-person or at home.

"In this next round, we continue to get more mass protective gear and equipment, including gloves, face shields and temperature readers," said Parham. "Now that our kids are going back to school, we will make sure every school has that, along with all the preventive measures all throughout our community to keep us safe."

The relief package will devote about $1 trillion to repairing the economy and helping families recover from financial hardship. Following the first $600 payment in December, a check of $1,400 per person soon will be distributed, fulfilling President Biden's promise to provide a total of $2,000 in direct assistance.

"One thing that we do know, Congressman McEachin, is that cities like Richmond and Petersburg have been on the front lines of the pandemic for a year now," said Stoney. "And we all know that communities of color have disproportionately borne the brunt of the public health threat and economic devastation brought by COVID-19.

"This funding from the American Rescue Plan will give us the reinforcements that we need to continue to fight the battle against COVID-19 and help us recover the right way. And the right way is by providing resources that allow us to meet the needs of those who who need it the most and addressing the systemic inequities we face in housing, in health care, in education, in income and unemployment that this pandemic not only illuminated, but exasperated."

The bill was a significant legislative accomplishment for Biden, who faced criticism from Republican legislators.

"It's unfortunate that, all of a sudden, the Republicans are concerned with spending when we're trying to help everyday ordinary Americans," McEachin said. "Everyday, ordinary Americans who try to go out play by the rules to make a living, but have just been devastated by this pandemic."

The City of Petersburg, with just under 6,000 COVID-19 vaccines administered according to data from the Virginia Department of Health, will try to expand its vaccination efforts with help from the relief package.

"I really have faith that we're going to get the necessary vaccines that we need, because we have everything: we have facilities, we have the people in place, and and this package that was passed will help us get more vaccines," Parham said.

Regarding residents' hesitation, Parham said that those in Petersburg are actually becoming more interested in the vaccine as more people go to take it. "I think the skepticism is just so small and it's really blown out of proportion," Parham said. "Most of the people I meet in the calls that I get are people that are eagerly asking for the vaccine."

The U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service are working in tandem to distribute stimulus checks as soon as possible. "The legislation’s provisions will generate $1.25 for every $1 of spending, will cut child poverty in half and will lift nearly 12 million people out of poverty," according to McEachin's press release.