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6-12-2020 Re-Opening America Update

June 12, 2020

Latest Coronavirus Update from Congressman Jeff Duncan:

I hope you find these COVID-19 email updates helpful. For more information, stay connected through my COVID-19 Resources page HERE and follow me on social media.

Economic Update
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The May jobs report that was released earlier this month is extremely encouraging - 2.5 million jobs were added! The Federal Reserve also recently predicted that our unemployment rate will fall to 9.3% by the end 2020.

As more states continue with their reopening processes, several businesses are bringing back employees they had previously laid off or furloughed and more job openings are becoming available. I'm also pleased President Trump signed the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act into law, as this will greatly help our small businesses get back on their feet and charge our economy. We're certainly on the road to recovery, and I believe if we keep it up, we will fuel our economy to greatness once again!

COVID-19 Testing & Vaccine Update
More than 21.8 million COVID-19 tests have now been performed in the United States, which is far more than any other country in the world. The COVID Tracking Project shows that in June, anywhere from 399,495 to 545,690 tests have been conducted each day nationwide. We continue to make great strides and I applaud the Trump Administration for their hard work to get us to this place.

South Carolina has also continued to ramp up their COVID-19 testing efforts - DHEC has set a goal to test 2% of the population each month and exceeded that goal in May. If you feel sick and believe you're experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, please view THIS list of COVID-19 testing sites available in South Carolina.

It's also important to note the Trump Administration and private sector have been working tirelessly over the last few months to develop a vaccine for COVID-19. Several companies are already in the clinical trial phase, while others like Moderna and Johnson & Johnson are quickly approaching the human trial process. I'm pleased to see the strong progress we're making on this front and hope we keep the momentum up and eliminate COVID-19 as quickly as possible!

World Health Organization
This week the World Health Organization (WHO) inaccurately stated the transmission of COVID-19 by asymptomatic individuals is "very rare." After hearing concerns from medical experts around the world, the WHO corrected their statement the following day and called it a "misunderstanding." However, this isn't the first time they've put out a false statement that caused complete chaos and confusion. They've also inaccurately stated that COVID-19 doesn't spread from human to human and patients infected with COVID-19 don't get the protective antibodies. Yet, they're the people claiming to be the "experts" here!

I believe we need to be talking to other governments around the world, and sharing best practices and what we're learning about the virus. However, in many ways the WHO has done more harm than good during the pandemic. For more information, click HERE.

Beware of Scams

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The South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce (DEW) does NOT charge any fees for their unemployment services. Please be aware of possible scams on the internet. If you're asked to pay a fee for your unemployment insurance services, do not pay! Follow THIS link to report it to DEW as soon as possible.

Defunding & Dismantling the Police
It has been extremely alarming to see citizens calling to defund and dismantle the police. This dangerous call to action would NOT make our communities safer. It would only weaken law and order and cause far more chaos than we've already seen. I've been vocal about my support for individuals to exercise their First Amendment rights and protest peacefully about policing concerns, but it's crucial that folks don't lose sight of the fact that an overwhelming majority of our nation's law enforcement officers are great public servants, who act professionally and care deeply about protecting the rights of the individual.

Letter to NCAA
I sent a letter this week to the President of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) on the importance of going ahead with college football season. College football unites so many Americans near and far and brings a strong economic boost to our college town businesses. I truly believe college football could be the catalyst to reopening and reunifying America in a post-COVID-19 environment. Go Tigers!

Read the full letter HERE.

Stay Connected
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For the most expedited constituent service, please do not reply directly to this email. Send me an email HERE so I can get in touch with you as fast as possible. Also, don't forget to follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for daily updates. Please let me know how I can serve you and your family during this time.

Issues:Health