International students welcome but should be checked for the Covid-19 virus

As we all most likely know, our country, along with the rest of the world, is facing an outbreak of Covid-19, otherwise known as the Corona Virus. One of the major concerns regarding this virus is community spread and containment.

For Cook County, I believe, an important action is needed. Any international student worker arriving on an H3 Visa should be tested for the virus–not a simple temperature or symptom check–an actual test. The effect of the virus on Cook County’s small relatively self-contained population would be devastating. When you add in thousands of visitors or tourists, the chance for spread is explosive. Certainly our international students will still be welcomed. But the preventative measure of testing is a must to control the current spread.

Tim Sullivan, Grand Marais