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Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, May 11 (Global Hot Spot) What is the decision-making center on the epidemic threat?
Xinhua News Agency reporter
The White House official said on 10 that, because his press secretary was diagnosed with the new coronavirus, Vice President Pence, who directs the epidemic prevention work of the United States government, will avoid close contact. with others in the coming days. Previously, White House staff near the top of the United States government were successively diagnosed with a new coronavirus infection. The three key members of the White House Outbreak Response Task Force have been isolated.
Analysts believe that the United States’ central agencies responding to the epidemic face threats from the epidemic, which may affect the expectations of American society and the business community to resume production and production.
【News data】
Since last weekend, Pence has not appeared at the White House meeting, staying home, sparking speculation about Pence’s self-isolation. An official said Pence voluntarily stayed away from the others on Oct. 10 under guidance from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
However, Pence spokesman Devon O’Malley issued a statement on the 10th, saying that Pence’s new daily coronavirus test results are negative and are not currently in quarantine. They will continue to follow the advice of the White House medical team and plan to work at the White House on the 11th.
Anonymous sources from the United States government revealed that the White House has no plans to “separate” Pence from President Trump.
Some US media are concerned that the White House appears to lack a contingency plan for leaders to become infected with the new crown virus. According to United States law, if the President and Vice President are unable to perform their duties due to illness or other reasons, Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the House of Representatives currently in third place, will assume the presidency.
The threat of the epidemic has caused a considerable psychological impact on White House officials. Kevin Hassett, Trump’s top economic adviser, expressed concern on the 10th and admitted that working in the west wing of the White House was “terrifying” and that “I would feel much safer at home.”
CNN quoted government sources saying Trump was deeply dissatisfied with the diagnosis of infections by White House staff, and was concerned that this would “face” the White House’s statement that the epidemic had subsided and that it was necessary to resume. the job.
【In-depth analysis】
The Trump administration recently reported to the media frequently to explain the need to restart the economy, but the White House was in a dilemma due to the threat of the epidemic.
White House National Economic Committee Director Larry Kudlow came across an embarrassing question in an interview with ABC’s “This Week” column on the 10th: The White House, which claims to have the “best medical team in the world “It is also vulnerable to the epidemic. Does the company resume work “with confidence”?
The United States public health community is generally cautious about resuming work. Tom Inglesby, director of the Center for Health Safety at the Johns Hopkins-Bloomberg School of Public Health, said that until the effective vaccine is developed, the new coronavirus will not be as gradual as Trump said. Disappear. “With the gradual resumption of work in various places, social activities will increase and the epidemic situation may increase again.
The latest forecast data from the American Institute for Health Statistics and Assessment shows that if states gradually resume work and all kinds of restrictions are loosened, the flow of people will increase significantly and the cumulative number of new deaths is expected from the crown in the United States increased to 137,000 in August.
The director of this institute, Christopher Murray, hopes that in some states that have been “unlocked”, 10 days later there will be a window period for newly diagnosed cases to “jump”.
【Instant comment】
According to the opinions of the media and experts from the United States and Europe, the White House faces the threat of an epidemic, which is one of the episodes of the United States government’s epidemic response to chaos. You can make your anti-epidemic decision making face more passive public opinion.
First, preventive measures are difficult to lead by example. The US media has criticized more than once: Trump and Pence have ignored the advice of public health experts and have refused to wear masks in public. Additionally, many Secret Service staff members do not wear masks while on duty in the White House.
Second, anti-epidemic rhetoric fluctuated. From refuting the virus threat theory in February, to acknowledging the severity of the epidemic in March and then sparking the “injection disinfectant” dispute in April, it is difficult for the US federal government to come up with a prevention strategy of consistent and highly credible epidemics to the outside world. Former President Barack Obama made a rare speech on the 8th, criticizing the current epidemic response as an “absolutely chaotic disaster.”
Third, the authority to make decisions can be weakened. Observers have noted that the Trump administration is increasingly focusing on restarting the economy, but has never produced a comprehensive guidance plan. Congress and the House of Representatives have begun to fill the gap in decision-making, promote national virus detection strategies, public health funds, and other issues to address the long-term challenges of the epidemic.
【Background link】
Pence’s press secretary, Katie Miller, tested positive for the new coronavirus on the 8th. Miller is also the wife of Stephen Miller, a senior White House adviser, who often communicates with the Task Force on Response to White House outbreaks and communicates with journalists.
Also, an active member of the US Navy. USA That he served Trump and his family in the White House confirmed on day 7 that he was infected with the new coronavirus. From the same day, the White House changed the detection frequency from once a week to once a day. The Secret Service of the US Department of Homeland Security. USA Responsible for guarding the President, Vice President and other dignitaries, he currently has at least 11 people infected with the new coronavirus and has not recovered, and about 60 people are being quarantined.
Due to contact with confirmed cases, the three key members of the White House Outbreak Response Task Force-Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Anthony Fudge, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Robert Redfield, Food and Drug Administration The head of the board, Stephen Hahn, is currently in a 14-day period of self-isolation. (Reporter: Xu Jianmei, Deng Xianlai, Chen Lixi, Zheng Haoning, Hui Xiaoshuang; Editors: Xu Chao, Xu Liyu, Liu Yang)
