Florida is putting $5 million more into Zika preparedness, amplifying concerns of the virus spreading in the Sunshine State.
Last week, the Florida Department of Health announced the Zika virus had spread to the Miami Beach area.
On Monday, Gov. Rick Scott announced the state would be allocating an additional $5 million in state funding to Miami-Dade County for Zika preparedness and mosquito control.
The DOH still believes the active transmission is only occurring in a very small section of Miami, but the number of infections has continued to grow since the virus hit the Sunshine State in February.
“We have remained fully committed to making every state resource available to ensure Miami, and our entire state, remains safe,” Scott said Monday.
The money will pay for additional mosquito control staff, mosquito spraying and community outreach.
The governor has already allocated $26 million in state funding to fight the virus, which is generally harmless but poses a significant risks for pregnant women. Fetuses of pregnant women infected with the virus can suffer significant birth defects.
Florida has attempted to fight the virus in the midst of a lengthy battle between President Barack Obama and Democrat and Republican legislators in Washington.
In February, President Barack Obama asked Congress for $1.9 billion in emergency Zika funding but Congress and the president have been at odds over the money. Republicans had their own hesitations, wanting more details on exactly how the money would be spent.
Democrats blocked a Republican package which would have shifted $1.1 billion into Zika funding due to other provisions about banning Planned Parenthood from providing contraception for the virus.
The criticisms have come from both sides of the aisle, attacking the both the president and Congress. Zika has caused an evident rift between Scott and Obama, with Scott penning a letter in June demanding the Obama administration’s immediate help to prevent Zika. Obama has yet to respond to the letter.
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz criticized Congress, specifically congressional Republicans, for not stepping up to the plate and heading to recess before fully addressing the Zika crisis.
“They told us months ago if we did not address the Zika crisis...as soon as we could...that this would eventually happen,” she said at a press conference Monday. “Republicans stuck their heads in the sand.”
There are 37 non-travel related cases of Zika. Six hundred Floridians have been infected by the virus this year.
Reach reporter Allison Nielsen by email at allison@sunshinestatenews.com or follow her on Twitter: @AllisonNielsen.
