CHARLESTON, W.Va. – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) today made several stops in Kanawha County related to the state’s efforts to address the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Senator Capito first visited the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department where she met with members of the Health Command, toured the facility, and personally thanked staff members for working around-the-clock during the coronavirus pandemic. Following this visit, Senator Capito visited the Kanawha County Emergency Ambulance Authority (KCEAA) where she met with KCEAA administrators to learn more about their COVID-19 response efforts.

“While many of us have been able to telework, others like the hardworking men and women at the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department and KCEAA have been going to work each and every day to face the challenges of this pandemic head-on,” Senator Capito said. “I enjoyed having the chance to learn more about their efforts to keep our community safe and also thank them in-person for the tireless work they are doing. During my visits, it was clear to me that this has been a total team effort and I couldn’t be prouder to be a part of this team.”

“Having Senator Capito here today has been an absolute honor. She and her staff have been part of our team from the very beginning,” said Dr. Sherri Young, Director of the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department. “While we’re making progress, we are not out of the woods yet when it comes to COVID-19. We are going full force ahead and a lot of that is thanks to the good senator and the help that she’s given with the financing and the CARES Act that they’ve been able to support us with—from PPE to the testing to just the ability to get the tests to everyone. It is beyond valuable to have the support of our state leaders during this time. This support system lets us know that we are valuable to our community. The fact that Senator Capito came here today in-person to support us, to check on us, and ask how we are doing means so much to us and I thank her for taking time today to visit and thank our staff.”

“It was great to have Senator Capito here with us today and we appreciate the support she gives to not only the health department, but also the Kanawha County Emergency Ambulance Authority and the county as a whole from a first responder aspect,” said Monica Mason, Education Director for the Kanawha County Emergency Ambulance Authority. “The CARES Act was very instrumental in helping us during COVID-19. We were having to reallocate resources to PPE purchases and other equipment purchases to help keep our first responders safe on the job every day, and the CARES Act was extremely helpful with this. We are appreciative of Senator Capito’s efforts and thank her visiting us today during these unprecedented times.”

Keep scrolling for more photos from today’s visits:

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