Thread: Let me just set this up a bit for you. I have been participating in WHO calls since February about this coming pandemic, I have talked to public health officials in three states (NY, La.,IA) and around the world (Africa, Australia, UK) #CoronavirusNewYork #COVID2019
@Acosta sent out this tweet. Not surprising that Trump's letter will come as a shock to some of his "task force" - I saw the letter a little while ago and called the CDC directly to ask about the claim that there are apparently great strides in testing/relaxing social distancing
Press people are great - and they do yeoman's work - and the one I contacted at CDC is no different. I ran a few of these things past the press office at CDC re: testing, Trump's letter, relaxing social distancing. #COVID2019
Press people are also usually aware of pending changes to [whatever] so they can field calls and direct to proper person - even if they don't have the answers they are often able to at least confirm something. (I LOVE press officers really!) But unfortunately it seemed new news
I am going to lay money on the fact that CDC didn't know (and I have to say there is a lot more to it) or - didn't inform their press officers - that this would be a thing they would need to deal with.
I spoke to several people in Iowa (my home state where a good chunk of family still lives) connected with public health, healthcare, government. Iowa is not prepared. Not only are they not prepared there is no central repository for information re: testing or - importantly
handling decedents w/suspected COVID19 - another person in medical field in Louisiana (NOLA) said in a brief text that they are in "the shit" and this person lived through Katrina.
All to say that the federal government is failed. The states are doing the work. And, as a result, states that are strong now will hopefully weather the storm in terms of disease and $$ #RentFreeze2020
