White House: Puerto Rico debt crisis could hamper Zika response

[May 10, 2016]  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House said on Monday it was concerned the debt crisis confronting Puerto Rico could hamper its ability to deal with the potential public health crisis caused by the spread of the Zika virus, which has sickened nearly people 700 on the island.

"Given the fact that there are reported cases of the Zika virus in Puerto Rico, this seems like a pretty bad time for investments in Puerto Rico's public health system to be cut," White House spokesman Josh Earnest told a news briefing.

(Reporting by Roberta Rampton; Writing by David Alexander)
 

[© 2016 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2016 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.