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United States President-elect Joe Biden has announced a coronavirus task force as he begins preparations to enter the White House.
Biden promised to be led by the team of 13 experts as the United States continues to see an increase in Covid-19 cases.
The United States has had more than 9.8 million cases and more than 237,000 deaths from the virus since the pandemic began, according to data from Johns Hopkins.
The country reported more than 126,000 positive cases and more than 1,000 deaths from Covid-19 on Saturday, according to the university. It was the fourth day in a row that new cases exceeded 100,000, as the country continued to beat its own record for daily cases almost every day for the past week.
In the campaign, Biden promised to “remove the muzzles from our experts” and launch a national strategy to “get ahead” of the virus and end the pandemic crisis.
The Covid-19 advisory board announced today will help guide the Biden-Harris transition team in planning the president-elect’s robust federal response.
He previously touted a nationwide mask mandate and plan that allows for free and widespread Covid-19 testing, boost manufacturing of medical equipment in the US, and make any future vaccines “free to all, whether or not it’s there insured”.
“Dealing with the coronavirus pandemic is one of the most important battles our administration will face, and science and experts will inform me,” Biden said today in a statement.
“The advisory board will help shape my approach to managing the increase in reported infections; ensure that vaccines are safe, effective, and distributed efficiently, equitably, and free of charge; and protect populations at risk. “
Biden previously appointed a former surgeon general, Dr. Vivek Murthy, and a former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, David Kessler, as co-chairs of his task force on coronavirus.
The additional advisory board members announced today have served in previous administrations and are experienced in “participating and leading our country’s response to national and global public health crises.”
Of note is Rick Bright, who was expelled from the Trump administration due to political pressure, after he voiced opposition to the Trump administration’s promotion of unproven drug therapies to combat Covid-19.
Bright told Congress in May that the Trump administration does not have a “master plan” to combat the coronavirus pandemic and is not prepared to distribute enough vaccines to immunize millions of Americans.
He also spoke out on what he called the government’s failure to increase stocks of personal protective equipment, such as N95 masks, for healthcare workers.
Source: 60 minutes / YouTube
Both Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will receive a briefing from the transition coronavirus advisory board this afternoon, followed by a press conference.
Here’s a look at the co-chairs and advisory board members:
Co-chairs
Kessler was Commissioner of the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from 1990 to 1997, appointed by President George HW Bush and re-elected by President Bill Clinton.
Murthy was the 19th Surgeon General of the United States from 2014 to 2017 and Vice Admiral of the Commissioned Corps of the United States Public Health Service.
Nunez-Smith is Associate Professor of Internal Medicine, Public Health, and Management at Yale University and Associate Dean for Health Equity Research at Yale School of Medicine.
Members
Luciana Borio specializes in biodefense, emerging infectious diseases, medical product development, and complex public health emergencies.
Bright is an immunologist, virologist, and former public health official. He was director of the Advanced Biomedical Research and Development Authority (BARDA) from 2016 to 2020. He resigned last month after alleging he was demoted for political reasons.
Emanuel is an Oncologist and Vice Chancellor for Global Initiatives and Chair of the Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy at the University of Pennsylvania.
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Gawande previously served as a Senior Advisor in the Clinton Administration’s Department of Health and Human Services.
Gounder is a clinical assistant professor at New York University Grossman School of Medicine and sees patients at Bellevue Hospital Center.
Morita was the City of Chicago Health Commissioner for nearly two decades.
Osterholm is the director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) at the University of Minnesota.
Pace is the CEO and President of the Global Health Council.
Rodríguez is Professor of Emergency Medicine at UCSF School of Medicine.
Goosby is an infectious disease expert and professor of medicine at UCSF School of Medicine.
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