Because older adults and people with disabilities and underlying and chronic health conditions are most at risk from both the COVID-19 virus and the range of harms caused by isolation during strict physical distancing, Congress must take urgent action to protect their lives and well-being. In particular, Congress must pay extraordinary attention to older adults who were already living in poverty and experiencing health disparities due to historical and present-day discrimination. Their intersecting health and economic disparities mean they are most at risk of dying, whether it be from COVID-19 itself or not being able to get or afford other necessary healthcare, nutrition, and housing.
