Kelly Loeffler: “my first priority during the COVID-19 pandemic has been to do all I can to keep Georgians and all Americans safe and…”

“my first priority during the COVID-19 pandemic has been to do all I can to keep Georgians and all Americans safe and healthy. But while at home in Georgia these last few weeks, I have seen that the measures we needed to take to fight this unprecedented health crisis have created dramatic economic and societal impacts. One in five Georgians is unemployed. In the last 6 weeks, the Georgia Department of Labor has issued more unemployment payments than in the previous 4 years combined. Hotels in the Golden Isles were seeing 80 to 90 percent occupancy rates at the beginning of March, the start of beach season for our beach communities. As the number of tourists plummeted, the president of our visitors' center described the economic impact as ``absolutely devastating.'' School districts, like Forsyth County schools, are organizing meal pickups and food delivery for students who typically rely on eating breakfast and lunch at school. Then there is the emotional toll combating the virus has taken. A local law enforcement officer told me that his department has seen a dramatic spike in domestic abuse calls. An emergency hotline run by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration saw a 1000- percent increase in calls last month compared to last April. The full cost of this pandemic remains to be seen, but it is clear we need to look ahead and plan for a future that protects Americans' lives and livelihoods.…”