Ever since COVID-19 reached America a year ago, we’ve seen heroic acts performed by many, especially health-care workers helping those afflicted with this contagious and life-threatening virus.
As the pandemic has spread to the point of claiming half a million lives in the U.S. so far, doctors, nurses and other health-care workers in hospitals and medical clinics have put their own lives at risk to care for COVID-19 patients.
When the pandemic was raging in New York City last spring, nurses from Washington and other states traveled there to help short-handed and overwhelmed hospitals treat COVID patients, even though they knew they might contract and die from this terrible disease themselves. That is heroic.
These doctors, nurses and other health-care workers deserve our highest praise and respect for putting their lives on the line in order to save the lives of those hospitalized with COVID-19.
Many have been forced to quarantine by their employers. Those without any accrued leave were isolating without pay, unemployment benefits or workers compensation — after being exposed to COVID-19 patients (and in some cases contracting the disease). Some who left work to quarantine ended up being terminated from their jobs. Those who contracted COVID-19 were in many cases told that they had to prove their exposure to the disease was work-related. You can imagine the financial strain and stress this has caused to them and their families.
Last summer, just a few months after the pandemic hit Washington, I met with officials with the Washington Nurses Association who told me how this plight was facing many nurses. To me, it seemed unfair that some were out of a job just because treating extremely ill — and contagious — COVID-19 patients forced them to be quarantined.
That’s why I agreed to introduce Senate Bill 5190, which would provide health-care workers with what are called “presumptive benefits” during a public-health emergency. In other words, this bipartisan proposal would make health-care workers eligible for unemployment-insurance benefits if they are terminated or left work to quarantine during a public-health emergency. The bill also would provide presumptive workers’ compensation coverage to health-care workers should they contract the disease that is the subject of a public-health emergency.
Health-care workers face a serious, immediate threat when they have to treat patients with infectious diseases. When we have a health-care crisis of this magnitude here in Washington and throughout the nation, we need to take care of the people who are being asked to help take care of the public. That’s what SB 5190 would help do. I’m pleased the Senate recently passed this common-sense bill.
The bill is now in the House of Representatives for further consideration. I’m optimistic the House will also approve this proposal. When we send front-line health-care providers into harm’s way to care for us, especially during a pandemic, we need to be there to care for them when they become ill or have to quarantine for doing so.
Sen. Jeff Holy, R-Cheney, serves the 6th Legislative District.
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