Chicago…In an effort to protect those on the front lines fighting the COVID-19 Virus State Representative Brad Stephens (R–Chicago) sent a letter to Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot asking them to prioritize first responders and healthcare workers once a COVID-19 treatment becomes available:
“As our state and nation continue to battle the scourge of COVID-19, I wanted to take this opportunity to look ahead to the time, which we all hope will be soon, when a vaccine or other suitable treatment becomes available to control and defeat this worldwide pandemic.
“Just as we are now working at breakneck speed to get enough COVID-19 tests into the hands of medical professionals, it is my hope that we will soon be working just as hard to administer effective treatments and therapies to our broad general public. However, it is also my sincere hope that when such a treatment is developed, we initially and immediately administer it to the healthcare professionals and first responders who are on the front line of helping people from all walks of life. It is imperative that these doctors, nurses, other health care workers and all of our first responders be kept healthy so that they can continue to serve and protect the public during these unprecedented times.
“It is these people who risk their lives every day to help and protect all of us and it is vital that they remain healthy so that they can do their jobs in order to defeat this disease. We must continue to plan for what comes next and a critical piece of that plan must be keeping medical workers and first responders healthy. It is our duty to do nothing less.”