WASHINGTON, D.C. – The coronavirus alarm is spreading across Capitol Hill as the White House and Congress negotiate for the right budget amount to keep our communities safe. One Southern California Democrat is concerned for his own district and is actively fighting the idea of making Costa Mesa a new quarantine site.

Freshman Congressman Harley Rouda said he thought the news he initially heard about the federal government’s plans to transfer coronavirus patients into his district in Orange County, was a “hoax.”

He said he was taken aback when officials said they planned to make a development center in his district a new treatment center because he hadn’t heard any information about any of the details for the transfer.

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For now, the transfer is on a temporary hold as the city also fights back, but Rouda said he is not waiting for that to resolve. This week, he sent letters to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Governor’s Office, requesting more details about their choice to use a building in his district as a new treatment center.

 

 

Rouda blamed the Trump administration for poor communication and planning and said he is disappointed the state didn’t consult with the districts and the people who would actually be affected. Rouda said he needs to know more details, like how the facility is being prepared before he can support a transfer.

He said his biggest concern is that the development center the administration wants to transfer patients to is in one of the most populous counties in the U.S. and yet no congressmen or local authority knows anything more than what's in the news. He said there’s even an uptick in constituents calling to voice concerns and has a message for them.

“There’s anxiety, I wouldn’t call it panic but it’s a desire to have a clear understanding of what we are looking at as a country, and how we’re going to address it,” said Rouda. “Keep pushing and wanting to learn more as I will do the same. I’m going to push the administration to provide more coherent information and I’m leading a letter to the administration for more discussion on appropriation to make sure we have proper funding to allow the CDC to do its job as best it can.”

The White House announced last week they would move 30 to 50 of patients from the Travis Air Force Base in Northern California to the Fairview Developmental Center in Costa Mesa. Shortly after, a federal judge put that request on hold and ordered all parties to meet to sort out the use of the Costa Mesa center.

The White House said they have the situation under control with the president naming Vice President Mike Pence as the lead against the virus.

"It's going to disappear one day,” said President Trump. “It’s like a miracle it will disappear. And from our shores, it could get worse before it gets better, it could maybe go away. We'll see what happens, no one really knows.”

Rouda is calling for a comprehensive plan for those affected and requesting information for what kind of potential impact there could be on the community and questions if there is a plan in place for relief if the virus spreads.

The Director of the California Department of Public Health said there are 33 coronavirus positive patients as of Thursday in the state.

The state and local officials involved will meet next week to discuss the potential of transferring patients from northern to southern California.