Did Trump Take Covid-19 Seriously - Trump Actions and Donkey Brayings

[PeteS in CA]

Did Trump Take Covid-19 Seriously in Early 2020 - Trump Actions, Democrats' Undermining (Updated 2023)

This is a parallel chronology from January through March 2020 of Trump Administration actions in the context of things Democrat officials - local and national - did and said. Included are a few items that give the context of what was known when. These news stories demonstrate that while the Trump Administration was taking serious and effective actions against Covid-19, Democrat officials were attacking Trump for those actions, undermining his actions, and minimizing the risk of Covid-19. As with other articles I wrote in summer 2020, I have checked all links, replacing and/or adding as I felt necessary.

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-covidtimeline

January 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); https://www.forbes.com/sites/lisettevoytko/2020/01/28/cdc-offers-china-help-as-coronavirus-outbreak-grows-according-to-report/#5b15af734ee4 ; https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/r/r46354

January 6, 2020 - CDC issued a Level 1 travel notice for Wuhan, China; https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/r/r46354

January 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.asp (broken link)

January 11 and 12, 2020 - Covid-19 coronavirus DNA sequence communicated to WHO; https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/29-06-2020-covidtimeline

January 15, 2020 - Nancy Pelosi signed impeachment articles and doled out impeachment pens; https://apnews.com/3cd46ae3f694b21c0cf83af3f0c4f1c7

January 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/ (paywall), https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/ohare-screening-wuhan-coronavirus-six-die-hundreds-sickened-asia/ , https://www.cdc.gov/museum/timeline/covid19.html

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.html

January 20, 2020 - CDC activated its emergency operations center; https://emergency.cdc.gov/recentincidents/index.asp?cid=EPR-homepage

January 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=68403105

January 20, 2020 - First confirmed coronavirus case in the US announced; https://www.cdc.gov/museum/timeline/covid19.html

January 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://news.modernatx.com/news/news-details/2020/Moderna-Announces-Funding-Award-from-CEPI-to-Accelerate-Development-of-Messenger-RNA-mRNA-Vaccine-Against-Novel-Coronavirus/default.aspx

January 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.html (behind paywall), https://ijr.com/flashback-de-blasio-ny-commissioner-coronavirus/

January 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://china.usembassy-china.org.cn/travel-alert-level-4-do-not-travel-to-hubei/ , https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/news/2020/01/24/coronavirus-outbreak-leads-state-department-issue-level-4-advisory/4562349002/ , https://www.cdc.gov/museum/timeline/covid19.html

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-coronavirus , https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-launches-coronavirus-task-force

January 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 - HHS Secretary Azar declared a public health emergency; https://abcnews.go.com/Health/delta-suspends-us-flights-china-amid-coronavirus/story?id=68666037 , https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/r/r46354

January 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 , https://apnews.com/article/united-nations-donald-trump-us-news-ap-top-news-virus-outbreak-9e22f8aabe2f454593b9f9b4c67eb31f , https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/r/r46354 . 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-outbreak ; https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/01/28/biden-xenophobia-travel-bans-chronology/

February 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=20

February 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/1224043155852537863

February 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-1258757

February 5, 2020 - Speaker Pelosi's 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.html

February 5, 2020 - Rep. Eliot Engel claimed Trump's China travel restrictions would "stoke" "discriminatory" and "racist" responses; https://www.factcheck.org/2020/03/the-facts-on-trumps-travel-restrictions/ (Factcheck weasels what he said, but Engel said it in a committee meeting about Covid less than a week after Trump's travel ban went into effect; context matters)

February 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/1226508570646269954

February 11, 2020 - HHS expands partnership with Janssen Research & Development for vaccine development; https://homelandprepnews.com/stories/44272-hhs-expands-partnership-with-janssen-research-development-for-research-share-into-covid-19-vaccine/ , https://www.jnj.com/johnson-johnson-announces-collaboration-with-u-s-department-of-health-human-services-to-accelerate-development-of-a-potential-novel-coronavirus-vaccine

February 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/ , https://www.news.sanofi.us/2020-02-18-Sanofi-joins-forces-with-U-S-Department-of-Health-and-Human-Services-to-advance-a-novel-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.unmc.edu/newsroom/2020/02/25/nih-clinical-trial-of-remdesivir-to-treat-covid-19-begins/ , https://www.ketv.com/article/clinical-trials-for-first-drug-to-treat-coronavirus-begin-at-university-of-nebraska-medical-center-covid/31099043

February 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/1232717882020245504

February 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-preparedness (10 months later, a family member and I, separately, were infected during car rides; whether ignorance or political game-playing her comment endangered New Yorkers she was paid to protect)

March 5, 2020 - City of New York Mayor de Blasio encouraged residents to "get out on the town";

https://twitter.com/BilldeBlasio/status/1234648718714036229

March 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"; http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/phcommon/public/media/mediapubhpdetail.cfm?prid=2251 (in fairness, it would eventually be realized that running events, with the corralling that was/is common, is relatively low risk; however, Ferrer's comment, "all that L.A. County has to offer" included riskier contexts)

March 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.html

March 13, 2020 - Trump declared National Emergency; https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-51882381 ; https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/government-coronavirus-response-live-updates-trump-declares-national/story?id=69580277

March 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-129470

March 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-seattle ; https://investors.modernatx.com/news/news-details/2020/Moderna-Announces-First-Participant-Dosed-in-NIH-led-Phase-1-Study-of-mRNA-Vaccine-mRNA-1273-Against-Novel-Coronavirus/default.aspx

March 19, 2020 - State Department global level 4 health advisory, avoid all international travel; https://jm.usembassy.gov/u-s-government-issues-a-global-level-4-health-advisory/ , https://www.nafsa.org/regulatory-information/department-state-covid-19-global-health-advisory , https://www.khou.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/do-not-travel-abroad-what-the-state-departments-advisory-means-for-travelers/285-9530f93f-9869-451e-905e-6aec20f4e94f

[Lando Lincoln]

Nicely compiled!  Thank you!

[Smokin Joe]

Great piece of work, @PeteS in CA ! 

I have copied that to a word file to preserve it. I wonder how long it would survive as a facebook post?

[PeteS in CA]

Thanks, guys. While the length of the whole US timeline - nearly 32 pages in my Word-compatible file - serves a purpose, its simple chronological format makes finding events related to a specific topic a bit time consuming. Hence this and the other topical threads derived from that timeline.

Trump Did Nothing for Two Months? - January

Trump Did Nothing for Two Months? - February

Trump Did Not Use the Defense Production Act?

Trump Did Nothing About Masks, Gowns, and Gloves (PPE)?

Trump Did Nothing About Ventilators?

What Happened to Covid-19 Tests?!

Untested Trump Vaccine?

China & WHO's Deception Adventure

[Gefn]

Thanks @PeteS in CA

[PeteS in CA]

Bumping, because some Progs are falsely claiming Trump did not act seriously regarding Covid.