Today, I joined millions of Americans in grieving and mourning the loss of a giant: the late civil rights hero and my friend, Congressman John Lewis.
Serving alongside John Lewis in the House of Representatives was one of the great honors of my life -- an honor I share with many of my former colleagues in Congress.
John wasn’t just a civil rights hero, or an elected official -- he was the conscience of our nation. When John spoke, everyone listened. And it’s because we knew his words carried real weight -- the weight borne by generations upon generations yearning to be free and to realize the full promise of America. The weight that John carried his entire life.
I encourage everyone to read his last words, which were published in newspapers across the country today.
He wrote, in part, that “Democracy is not a state. It is an act, and each generation must do its part to help build what we called the Beloved Community, a nation and world society at peace with itself.”
And now as John passes the torch, the best way to honor his legacy is to continue fighting for the things he stood for -- equality, justice, civil rights, human rights, voting rights, and so many other ideals that our nation strives to live up to. We need to continue to work together to build that Beloved Community that John spent his life working to create.
Sincerely,
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Today, the Attorney General’s office issued a cease-and-desist letter to Live Entertainment, the company responsible for holding dangerous, illegal large-scale gatherings in Weld County.
Under current guidelines, an outdoor venue is permitted to host a maximum of 175 people within their usable space with a minimum of 6 feet of distance between individuals or non-household contacts.
Video documentation showed thousands of people with no masks, no social distancing, and no regard for the fact that we’re living through a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic that has killed over 150,000 Americans.
This behavior is unacceptable and we will use the full force of law to protect the public's health. We cannot allow the irresponsible actions of a few to sacrifice thousands of Colorado lives and hundreds of thousands of Colorado jobs.
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LONG TERM HEALTH EFFECTS OF COVID-19 |
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This is a new, novel virus and we are learning more about it every day. There are studies happening all over the world -- searching for a cure, trying to develop a vaccine, and examining the long-term effects of this deadly virus.
But we’re already seeing some stunning evidence of persisting damage to vital organs.
We know that COVID-19 attacks the lungs, causing inflammation, and many studies have been done on the long-term impact on lungs. These studies have shown that many survivors continue to have persistent shortness of breath, decreased lung function, dry cough, and pain while breathing after contracting the illness.
And the symptoms are often more severe for those placed on a ventilator.
Researchers have also found severe impacts on the brain. According to a report in the BBC last month, “than 300 studies from around the world have found a prevalence of neurological abnormalities in COVID-19 patients, including mild symptoms like headaches, loss of smell and tingling sensations, up to more severe outcomes such as aphasia (inability to speak), strokes and seizures.” Neurological abnormalities were found in about 50% of patients.
Scientists believe that one of the reasons may be that the brain isn’t getting enough oxygen because of the way COVID-19 restricts breathing.
Earlier this week, two German studies found heart abnormalities in COVID-19 patients months after recovery. Out of 100 adults that were studied, 78 of them had heart abnormalities -- a jaw-dropping finding.
American College of Cardiology’s Science and Quality Committee Chair Dr. Maddox, said heart inflammation “could lead to weakening of the heart muscle and, in rare cases, abnormal heart beats.”
And that’s just what we know right now -- less than a year after the virus was discovered. As researchers continue to study this disease, we may learn more about how this virus wreaks havoc on our internal organs.
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I’m proud of the way Coloradans have stepped up to support each other during this difficult time.
In addition to the generosity of so many individuals, creative partnerships with the private sector have expanded our ability to help Coloradans who are being directly impacted by this global pandemic.
Today I announced that furniture store IKEA is calculating the unemployment claims submitted by their employees and donating that money back to the Colorado COVID Relief Fund -- all in all it’s close to $1 million.
This is a very difficult time for our nonprofit community. Because of the economic contraction, many organizations are dealing with a much larger caseload than normal, and in many cases, having to do it with fewer donors.
I want to thank IKEA for stepping up in this way, and to all those -- individuals, corporations, foundations, who have helped to support the relief fund.
Here are a few examples of the important work that this fund is supporting:
Rotary Club of the North Fork Valley Foundation received $3,600 from the fund for a program that takes fresh food grown by North Fork Valley farmers -- including fresh greens, seasonal vegetables, fruits, eggs, cheeses, and meats -- and distributes it to local families in need through Farm Runners and the Old River Trading Post, two North Fork businesses currently addressing hunger in needy children, their families and older adults. They’ve already been able to donate around 1,000 boxes of food. This is a win-win for families and farmers, and thanks to this funding, the food boxes will continue to be delivered throughout the summer.
Aurora Community Connection requested $50,000 from the fund and with that money, they were able to pay all or part of one month’s rent for 28 families and help another 42 families gain access to rent assistance resources available through other agencies. With the funding, the ACC’s family resource center is continuing to provide housing support, utility support and food access to working families experiencing partial or complete wage loss due to the pandemic. By offering resource and referral services within a comprehensive case management framework, ACC is working with families to not only access essential resources in the short-term, but to provide stability so families can be self-sufficient beyond the immediate crisis.
Eastern Plains Healthcare Consortium -- a collaboration of rural hospitals in the eastern part of the state serving Adams, Arapahoe, Cheyenne, Elbert, Kiowa, Kit Carson, Lincoln, Logan, Morgan, Phillips, Sedgwick, Yuma Counties -- requested $15,000 in funding to set up a centralized call system where COVID-19 cases that are transferred to hospitals on the eastern plains from other health systems are connected with a team of case managers. This will not only foster collaboration across health systems but help to build capacity at our rural hospitals.
So far, the fund has raised over $22 million and distributed $16.4 million to over 750 orgs serving Coloradans in all 64 counties.
And on August 8, the fund will be accepting a sixth round of grants. Information on www.helpcoloradonow.org will be updated on August 5th to reflect these changes. We'll be accepting tiered applications for coordinated organizations, up to $100k.
So if you’re an individual or a corporation or a foundation, please donate and help us meet the needs of all Coloradans, and if you’re an organization that is in need of funding, please apply for funds for Round Six.
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