Amid news of Congress’ failure to pass sorely needed Zika legislation this week, the travel industry has taken a stand on preventing the spread of the mosquito-borne virus. Congress returned from recess on Tuesday, only to halt a $1.1 billion package that would have helped address the outbreak of Zika in parts of the United States.
American Hotel & Lodging Association and U.S. Travel Association submitted a joint letter to Congress, urging swift action to fight Zika infection and assist agencies in dealing with its impact. Funding is necessary to support new research and the development of vaccines to combat the virus. The letter was signed by 127 hotels, state tourism offices and other travel organizations.
The letter states, in part: “A failure by Congress to act quickly jeopardizes not only our citizens’ health, but also the U.S. economy. The number of individuals infected with the Zika virus has grown and there have been multiple instances of local transmission. The impact to the travel industry will have adverse and widespread economic ramifications.
“Funding for Zika efforts will ramp up local responses to the growing threat, support an acceleration of research and development on vaccines as well as advanced approaches to mosquito control. According to the National Institutes of Health and Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), money will run out at the end of September so it is imperative that Congress makes funding a first priority.”
The Palm Beach Post stated the CDC has spent nearly all of its funding—$194 million out of $222 million reserved for Zika. Money has gone to state and local health agencies for diagnostic tests, public outreach and staffing costs in Florida and Puerto Rico, which contain the highest number of reported cases in the U.S.
As of Aug. 31, CDC case counts in Florida total 542, out of which 35 were locally transmitted. In Puerto Rico, case counts are the highest at 13,841, with 50 acquired from outside travel. However numbers have since risen and new occurrences of the virus are surfacing more frequently. The Florida Department of Health confirmed seven new cases of Zika this week, according to reports from USA Today.
“I’ve been all over Florida and the country listening to people’s concerns about Zika, and no one can comprehend why the U.S. Congress has left this unaddressed,” said U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow.
Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau in coordination with the Florida Department of Health and Miami-Dade County has updated travel advisories for pregnant women traveling to two neighborhoods where clusters of the virus have been identified. In Wynwood, mosquito control efforts have cleared 76 blocks, reducing the zone to 0.5 square miles. Miami Beach has also reported infections in an area that spans 1.5 miles. There are at least 35 counties in the state of Florida where Zika has appeared.
