Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Trump Now Mobilizing Federal Government To React To Crisis, But Key Agency Resources Are Still Untapped
The New York Times: Trump Finally Enlists Much Of Government In Coronavirus Attack
The mayor of Seattle wanted “mass tents” from the federal government to rapidly build shelters to house people in quarantine. The state of New York pleaded for help from the Army Corps of Engineers to quickly build hospitals. Oregon’s governor repeatedly pressed the Department of Health and Human Services for hundreds of thousands of respirators, gowns and gloves, face shields or goggles. After so many pleas, President Trump moved on Tuesday to begin enlisting much of his government in what the White House had called for weeks a “whole of government” approach to the rampaging coronavirus. (Lipton, Kanno-Youngs and Cooper, 3/17)
Reuters: From Field Hospitals To Respirator Masks, Pentagon Wades Into Coronavirus Support Role
The Pentagon on Tuesday laid out how the U.S. military would support the medical response to the coronavirus, from using its stockpile of respirator masks to potentially building field hospitals and perhaps even deploying Navy hospital ships to reduce the stress on U.S. emergency rooms. The moves illustrate the massive government effort that will be required to deal with the fast-spreading pandemic, with the number of cases topping 5,800 in the United States and the death toll approaching 100. (Ali and Stewart, 3/17)
The Associated Press: Military Faces Limitations In Responding To Virus Outbreak
The Pentagon is already helping combat the coronavirus outbreak in the United States and is considering ways to do more. But the military faces limits. Its health care system is geared more toward handling combat casualties than infectious diseases. And there are logistical and legal concerns about expanding the military’s role in civilian affairs, such as tasking it with enforcing quarantines. Defense officials also want to be careful not to do anything to weaken its ability to defend the nation. (Burns and Baldor, 3/17)
Politico: Trump Considers Mobilizing National Guard For Coronavirus Response
The administration is considering mobilizing the National Guard and Reserve at the federal level to help combat the coronavirus, Defense Secretary Mark Esper announced Tuesday, while also preparing hospital ships to relieve stress on civilian facilities. Esper briefed Vice President Mike Pence and other members of the coronavirus task force on Monday on ways the Defense Department can help deal with the crisis, he told reporters. (Seligman, 3/17)
The Wall Street Journal: U.S. Military Prepares Hospital Ships For Deployment, To Open Its Labs
The U.S. Naval Ship Comfort and its sister ship, the USNS Mercy, are being prepared to be sent to potential hot spots in the U.S. if the number of coronavirus cases begins to overwhelm local hospitals, officials said. There hasn’t yet been a formal request for use of the ships, Mr. Esper said. The Pentagon is offering up the capabilities and equipment as federal, state and local officials have grown increasingly anxious about the nation’s capacity to deal with the growing number of coronavirus cases across the nation, particularly in New York and Washington state, both of which have high numbers of infections. The Health and Human Services department made the requests in recent days, Mr. Esper said. (Youssef and Lubold, 3/17)
The Hill: New York Lawmakers Call For Deployment Of Navy Hospital Ship To NYC Amid Coronavirus Outbreak
A quartet of House lawmakers from New York is asking President Trump to deploy a Navy hospital ship to New York City to treat noncoronavirus patients as hospitals become slammed with patients suffering from the virus. “We write to ask that you immediately ready the naval hospital ship USNS Comfort, currently being refitted in Norfolk, VA for deployment to New York City in support of our city’s fight against the novel coronavirus pandemic,” the lawmakers wrote to Trump and Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael Gilday. (Kheel, 3/17)
NBC News: DHS Faces Coronavirus With Scores Of Vacancies And A Leadership Vacuum
As President Donald Trump imposes sweeping entry restrictions in a bid to stop the spread of the coronavirus — and considers still more — he's relying on an agency to help implement them that has been hollowed out at the top ranks in a revolving door of leadership, potentially hampering his administration's response to the crisis. It has been nearly a year since the Department of Homeland Security has had a Senate-confirmed leader. Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf, the fourth person to lead the agency in three years, has been on the job less than six months. (Pettypiece, 3/18)
