The Florida Senate is enlisting help to keep its members and staff safe from coronavirus.
Before the Senate returns to Tallahassee for an organizational session in November, it aims to have a plan in place. Incoming senate president, Republican Wilton Simpson, sent a memo out Tuesday saying the legislative body will contract with Tampa General Hospital to draw up that plan.
Simpson’s memo says Tampa General “will help us develop educational information for Senators and staff on practical, actionable infection prevention steps.”
As of Tuesday evening, a spokesperson for the Senate president’s office had not responded to WFSU’s inquiry as to whether a price tag has been determined. Simpson’s letter says he’s asked outgoing Senate President Bill Galvano to authorize the contract.
The team at Tampa General has worked with professional hockey team the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Aquarium among other groups.
Simpson describes the TGH program as “a strike-team-like program that connects members of their in-house infection prevention team with infectious disease experts at USF Health Morsani College of Medicine and with private practice physicians in the TGH network who specialize in infectious disease.”
Senate leadership says it is collaborating with its House counterparts on coordinating safety efforts.
The Florida legislature’s organizational session will begin November 17.
