The former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration said on Sunday testing positive for the coronavirus shouldn’t be “punitive,” suggesting there ought to be stipends for people who self-isolate “similar to jury duty.”
In an interview on CBS News’ “Face The Nation,” Dr. Scott Gottlieb said the nation should “look at ways to provide paid sick leave” for those testing positive.
He added there ought to be a look at “people who self-isolate.”
“You don’t want to make it punitive,” he said, adding: “That means I think a stipend similar to jury duty.”
According to Gottlieb, companies shouldn’t be mandated to provide on-site testing for coronavirus, and that the government should help subsidize their efforts.
“There shouldn’t be a mandate,” he said, adding: “Where the government can play a role is helping to subsidize these activities in the near term.”
“You’re going to see a lot of office space jobs actually bring testing onsite,” he said, noting “States have a role to play in helping to democratize these type of activities so more employees have access to them.”
Gottlieb also warned no part of the country is “out of the woods” for infection and spread of the coronavirus.
“The Southeast and Sunbelts - you still have to worry,” he said, adding, “Parts of the country that were later to enter their epidemic portion” also should remain vigilant.
“Once a case gets into a situation where you have people tightly packed indoors” it will be especially dangerous, he said.
“I don’t think anyone is out of the woods right now.”
Gottlieb said he believes there will be “one or more treatments by the fall” for COVID-19. But a vaccine solution may come out of China first.
“There’s a risk that China may get to a vaccine first,” he said. “They may get it to the market before we do and that’s a concern.”
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