ICYMI Congressman Greg Murphy MD (NC-3) Held A Press Conference Highlighting Blind Spots And Opportunities On NC COVID Response
June 12, 2020
For Immediate Release
RALEIGH NC- Yesterday, Congressman Greg Murphy held a press conference about shortcomings in North Carolina’s COVID response.
Here are some key quotes from Murphy's press conference:
“What we face now is a very difficult task and its a balancing act. The balancing act of safeguarding the health of the people in this state, and letting people get their lives back. Get back to work, get back to school, and get back to church to seek life’s fulfillment. I’ve seen this many places we must not be so afraid of this pandemic that we forget how to our lives.”
Congressman Greg Murphy MD (3:50)
"I think we treat this whole situation like a sick patient. We gather truths and it is with full transparency and truthfulness that we treat our patients. I think this is an opportunity we have missed in our state and one that if we embrace moving forward at all levels we will have a much better outcome."
Congressman Greg Murphy MD (5:05)
Editor’s Note: A Coalition of media companies, including the New York Times and Associated Press, sued Governor Cooper to force him to comply with the NC Public Records law and release all the COVID data. https://www.newsobserver.com/news/coronavirus/article243067701.html
"That was really a key point that Dr. Birx pointed out that we need a true plan for nursing homes. When you look at nursing homes, prisons and certain agricultural entities we need a true plan for testing, we need a plan for the egress of individuals, and up until now we have not had that and we really need to have that moving forward.”
Congressman Greg Murphy MD (12:40)
"It goes back to why Republican Governors are doing one thing and Democratic Governors are doing another thing. Is it politics is that what the motive is? I just don't know. Unfortunately, the state just lost over 150 million dollars because we had a convention coming to Charlotte. Badly needed dollars. And its unfortunate that something that folks didn't sit at the table and worked out a compromise. Those are terribly needed dollars and its a tragedy to this state that something was not worked out."
Congressman Greg Murphy MD (29:20)
“Unemployment leads to poverty. Poverty leads to despair and health inequities. Health inequities and despair lead to death. So why in the face of clear data from states all around us do we insist upon keeping people unemployed?... We are picking winners and losers indiscriminately and that’s wrong.”
Congressman Greg Murphy MD (30:00)
"I know Governor Cooper wants to Medicaid in this state he's made it very very clear, but I don't think keeping people unemployed and impoverished is the way to do it."
Congressman Greg Murphy MD (30:43)
“I am going to submit to you that we should have four Cs. Number one Coherent plan for testing. I just gave you one. We test in our nursing homes, we test in our high population areas. We not only do contact testing, but also surveillance testing and antibody testing. Communication and transparency. That has been horrible so far when a lawsuit has to be given to the state administration to get information that the public that they need to know. Consistency among regulations, not changing goalposts. Why are elective surgeries cut out by not elective abortions? Why can we not have more than 25 people in a room wearing masks but thousands of people out in the street marching? It’s inconsistent. And Collaboration guys we need inter-agency collaboration. We have healthcare institutions that have offered to help, they are the ones taking care of patients in this state they need to be utilized. They are the ones that can have swarm teams that can out to the nursing homes…. We need to use those institutions already in our state to get a hold of this crisis.”
Congressman Greg Murphy MD (30:58)
"She [Dr. Birx] was very emphatic that this did not have to do with reopening the state."
Congressman Greg Murphy MD (34:23)
Click this link to watch the full video of Congressman Murphy’s press conference.
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