Lies about Covid? Oo! Oo! Let me help!!!
Did Trump Take Covid-19 Seriously - Trump Actions and Donkey BrayingsI'm going to give a chronology of Trump Administration actions in the context of things Democrat officials - local and national - did and said. I'll include a few items that give the context of what was known when. I'll let actions demonstrate who was or was not serious about Covid-19.
December 31, 2019 - WHO found a translation of a Chinese news report on ProMED about the outbreak in Wuhan; WHO's China office found a Wuhan Municipal Health Commission media statement about the outbreak in Wuhan;
https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/29-06-2020-covidtimelineJanuary 4, 2020 - CDC Director Robert Redfield offers to send technical experts to China:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/04/03/how-much-pressure-did-trump-put-china-access-concerning-coronavirus/ (behind paywall)
January 6, 2020 - CDC issued a Level 1 travel notice for Wuhan, China;
https://afludiary.blogspot.com/2020/01/cdc-issues-level-1-watch-travel-notice.htmlJanuary 8, 2020 - CDC alert to clinicians to ask patients with "severe respiratory illness" whether they had traveled to Wuhan;
https://emergency.cdc.gov/han/han00424.aspJanuary 11 and 12, 2020 - Covid-19 coronavirus DNA sequence communicated to WHO;
https://www.who.int/csr/don/12-january-2020-novel-coronavirus-china/en/January 15, 2020 - Nancy Pelosi signed impeachment articles and doled out impeachment pens;
https://apnews.com/3cd46ae3f694b21c0cf83af3f0c4f1c7January 17, 2020 - The US started screening arriving passengers from China; JFK, SFO, LAX
https://www.businessinsider.com/new-disease-virus-china-us-airports-screening-cdc-2020-1 ; O'Hare and Hartsfield-Jackson
January 22, 2020 -
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/01/21/us-screenings-coronavirus-expanded-airports-atlanta-chicago/January 20, 2020 - Dr. Fauci announces the National Institutes of Health working developing a vaccine for coronavirus;
https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/20/health/coronavirus-nih-vaccine-development/index.htmlJanuary 20, 2020 - CDC activated its emergency operations center;
https://emergency.cdc.gov/recentincidents/index.asp?cid=EPR-homepageJanuary 20, 2020 - First acknowledgement by China and WHO of human-human transmission of coronavirus;
https://abcnews.go.com/Health/human-human-transmission-coronavirus-reported-china/story?id=68403105January 20, 2020 - First confirmed coronavirus case in the US announced;
https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2020/p0121-novel-coronavirus-travel-case.htmlJanuary 22, 2020 - Pharmaceuticals company Moderna working with US government to develop vaccine;
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/01/22/moderna-is-working-on-a-vaccine-for-chinas-deadly-coronavirus.html ,
https://investors.modernatx.com/news-releases/news-release-details/moderna-announces-funding-award-cepi-accelerate-developmentJanuary 26, 2020 - While warning that the coronavirus would come to NYC, New York City Health Commisioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot advised people, "We are encouraging New Yorkers to go about their everyday lives and suggest practicing everyday precautions that we do through the flu season," and, "We are very clear: We wish New Yorkers a Happy Lunar New Year and we encourage people to spend time with their families and go about their celebration";
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/27/nyregion/new-york-city-coronavirus.htmlJanuary 27, 2020 - US CDC issues highest-level travel health notice, Level 3, recommending that travelers avoid all nonessential travel to China; State Department raises its own travel advisory for all of China to Level 3 of 4, urging U.S. citizens to “reconsider travel”, while retaining its Level 4 travel advisory for Hubei Province;
https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2020/s0128-travelers-avoid-china.html ,
https://china.usembassy-china.org.cn/travel-alert-level-4-do-not-travel-to-hubei/January 29, 2020 - White House announced the formation of the Coronavirus Task Force;
https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/480627-white-house-announces-task-force-to-monitor-coronavirusJanuary 31, 2020 - In reference to Lunar New Year celebration activities, Barbara Ferrer, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health Director, said, "There is no need to panic and there is no need for people to cancel their activities.";
https://mynewsla.com/hollywood/2020/01/28/health-official-says-coronavirus-is-no-need-for-panic-in-los-angeles-county/January 31, 2020 - Trump declared a public health emergency;
https://abcnews.go.com/Health/delta-suspends-us-flights-china-amid-coronavirus/story?id=68666037January 31, 2020 - State Department raised the travel advisory for China to Level 4, do not travel;
https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/2020/01/31/coronavirus-china-flight-ban-delta-cuts-all-flights-white-house/4620989002/January 31, 2020 - People entering the US from China forbidden; Announced January 31, effective February 2;
https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/02/us/coronavirus-us-travel-restrictions/index.html This effectively ended flights from and to China, for obvious reasons.
January 31, 2020 - Biden referred to "Donald Trump’s record of hysteria and xenophobia - hysterical xenophobia - and fearmongering" while criticizing Trump's China travel restrictions;
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/481028-biden-slams-trump-for-cutting-health-programs-before-coronavirus-outbreakFebruary 1, 2020 - The day after Trump announced the China travel shutdown Joe Biden Tweeted, "Donald Trump’s record of hysteria, xenophobia, and fear-mongering";
https://twitter.com/JoeBiden/status/1223727977361338370?s=20February 2, 2020 - NYC Health Commissioner Dave A. Chokshi encouraged New Yorkers, "As we gear up to celebrate the #LunarNewYear in NYC,... there is no reason for anyone to change their holiday plans, avoid the subway, or certain parts of the city because of #coronavirus;
https://twitter.com/NYCHealthCommr/status/1224043155852537863February 4, 2020 - Rep. Ami Bera claimed Trump's China travel restrictions would "create prejudices" and cause people to "harbor anxieties toward" Chinese people;
https://www.politico.com/states/california/story/2020/02/04/coronavirus-quarantine-travel-ban-could-backfire-experts-fear-1258757February 5, 2020 - First House of Representatives hearing about Covid-19;
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/02/05/watch-us-house-panel-holds-hearing-on-the-coronavirus-outbreak.htmlFebruary 5, 2020 - Rep. Eliot Engel claimed Trump's China travel restrictions would "stoke" "discriminatory" and "racist" responses;
https://foreignaffairs.house.gov/2020/2/engel-statement-at-coronavirus-outbreak-subcommittee-hearingFebruary 7, 2020 - NYC Health Commisioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot advised people, "So we’re telling New Yorkers, go about your lives, take the subway, go out, enjoy life, but practice everyday precautions";
https://news.grabien.com/story-flashback-nyc-health-commissioner-urged-new-yorkers-gather-p (the link includes context of her advice and video of her comments)
February 9, 2020 - NYC Health Commissioner Oxiris Barbot encouraged New Yorkers, "I want to remind everyone to enjoy the (Lunar New Year) parade and not change any plans due to misinformation spreading about #coronavirus.";
https://twitter.com/NYCHealthCommr/status/1226508570646269954February 11, 2020 - HHS expands partnership with Janssen Research & Development for vaccine development;
https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2020/02/11/hhs-janssen-join-forces-on-coronavirus-vaccine.htmlFebruary 18, 2020 - HHS to work with Sanofi Pasteur to develop coronavirus vaccine and treatment;
https://www.statnews.com/2020/02/18/sanofi-announces-it-will-work-with-hhs-to-develop-coronavirus-vaccine/February 24, 2020 - Nancy Pelosi invited Californians to "come to Chinatown";
https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2020/02/24/coronavirus-speaker-house-nancy-pelosi-tours-san-franciscos-chinatown/February 25, 2020 - An NIH clinical trial of Remdesivir begun; at University of Nebraska Medical Center,
https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/nih-clinical-trial-remdesivir-treat-covid-19-beginsFebruary 26, 2020 - Nancy Pelosi referred to Trump's China travel shut down as, "scare tactics about people coming back to our country";
https://twitter.com/ABCPolitics/status/1232717882020245504February 29, 2020 - Level 4 travel advisory to Italy, South Korea;
https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/2020/02/29/coronavirus-trump-adds-travel-restrictions-italy-south-korea/4914822002/February 29, 2020 - Iran travel ban announced;
https://www.statnews.com/2020/02/29/trump-administration-expands-coronavirus-travel-ban-to-include-iran/March 4, 2020 - In a press conference, NYC Health Commisioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot advised "So, there's no indication that being in a car, being in the subways with someone who's potentially sick is a risk factor ...";
https://www1.nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/news/118-20/transcript-mayor-de-blasio-new-yorkers-city-s-covid-19-preparednessMarch 5, 2020 - City of New York Mayor de Blasio encouraged residents to "get out on the town";
https://twitter.com/BilldeBlasio/status/1234648718714036229March 5, 2020 - Barbara Ferrer, director of the Los Angeles County Public Health Department, said, "The public can continue to enjoy all that L.A. County has to offer, including the Los Angeles Marathon";
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-03-07/coronavirus-cancels-many-events-but-l-a-marathon-and-coachella-still-on-here-is-whMarch 11, 2020 - Trump suspended travel from Europe;
https://news.yahoo.com/trump-suspends-travel-from-europe-for-30-days-as-coronavirus-cases-continue-to-grow-014314635.htmlMarch 13, 2020 - Trump declared National Emergency;
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/what-trumps-emergency-declaration-over-coronavirus-means-for-arizona/ar-BB11a6ROMarch 14, 2020 - European travel ban extended to include the UK and Ireland;
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/14/white-house-adds-uk-ireland-to-travel-ban-129470March 16, 2020 - Testing begins of Moderna's experimental coronavirus vaccine; at Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute,
https://www.kpwashingtonresearch.org/news-and-events/recent-news/news-2020/kaiser-permanente-launches-coronavirus-vaccine-study-seattleMarch 19, 2020 - State Department global level 4 health advisory, avoid all international travel;
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/ea/travel-advisory-alert-global-level-4-health-advisory-issue.htmlNote: the above was written in August 2020.