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A28 u.s. news
Diasabra 14 November 2020

Trump, stewing over election loss, silent as virus surges

(AP) — President Donald corner” on the virus, and he
Trump has publicly dis- wrongly predicted that Dem-
engaged from the battle ocrats' focus on the disease
against the coronavirus at would go away right after
a moment when the dis- the election. The president
ease is tearing across the pushed a sunny public tone
United States at an alarm- even after he tested positive
ing pace. for the virus in early Octo-
ber and was hospitalized for
Trump, fresh off his reelec- three days. His wife, Melania,
tion loss to President-elect and teenage son, Barron, also
Joe Biden, remains angry contracted the virus. Biden,
that an announcement about for his part, largely framed
progress in developing a vac- the election as a referendum
cine for the disease came af- on Trump’s handling of the
ter Election Day. And aides pandemic. He has made ad-
say the president has shown dressing the virus his top
little interest in the growing priority as he moves forward
crisis even as new confirmed with his transition. He spoke
cases are skyrocketing and by phone Thursday with
hospital intensive care units House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
in parts of the country are and Senate Minority Leader
nearing capacity. Chuck Schumer about the
intensifying pandemic and
Public health experts worry prospects for passage of a
that Trump’s refusal to take be linked to his rallies in the licly comment and spoke on coronavirus restrictions, an- COVID-19 relief bill in the
aggressive action on the pan- closing days of the campaign, condition of anonymity. Pfiz- nounced earlier this week lame duck session of Con-
demic or to coordinate with according to one official. er said it did not purposely that masks will now be re- gress.
the Biden team during the The White House corona- withhold trial results. quired at indoor events of Incoming White House chief
final two months of his presi- virus task force held its first more than 25 people, and she of staff Ron Klain said Biden
dency will only worsen the post-election meeting Mon- Although the president has banned outside events of 100 will appoint a “COVID co-
effects of the virus and hinder day. Officials discussed the consistently played down the or more people unless all at- ordinator” who will lead the
the nation’s ability to swiftly rising case numbers and the pandemic, which has killed tendees wear masks. administration’s pandemic
distribute a vaccine next year. promise of a vaccine in de- more than 240,000 Ameri- Trump hasn’t answered ques- response. Klain, speaking on
The president’s silence velopment by Pfizer, and cans and infected more than tions since before Election MSNBC Thursday night,
comes as numerous White they recognized the service 10 million people in the U.S., Day. That hasn’t slowed his said the individual will have
House and campaign officials of Navy Rear Adm. John public health experts ex- Twitter habit, but he’s used it “direct access” to the presi-
have tested positive for the Polowczyk, a member of the pressed worry about Trump’s almost exclusively in recent dent and will brief him daily
virus in recent days. task force who retired Mon- silence on the troubling spike days to rage over the election on the pandemic. A team of
day. in cases, as well as his refusal results and spread unsub- people underneath the coor-
White House chief of staff But Trump, who does not to begin coordination on vi- stantiated allegations of voter dinator will supervise vaccine
Mark Meadows tested posi- take part in the task force rus issues with Biden's transi- fraud. distribution, address supply
tive last week after attending meetings, remains preoccu- tion team. chain disruptions and im-
an election night party at the pied with last week’s election By late Thursday after- prove access to testing.
White House. Others at the results. He has yet to weigh “It’s a big problem,” said Dr. noon, Trump had tweeted or
party also have tested posi- in on the recent spike in virus Abraar Karan, a global health retweeted more than three Lawrence Gostin, a public
tive, including White House cases that has state and local specialist at Brigham and dozen times that day. Just one health expert at Georgetown
political director Brian Jack, officials scrambling and hos- Women’s Hospital and Har- was related to the virus — a University’s law school, said
former White House aide pitals concerned about their vard Medical School. “The retweet of a posting by Sen. Biden will only be able to
Healy Baumgardner and ability to treat those stricken. transition is not going to hap- David Perdue about Georgia “scratch the surface” of tack-
Trump campaign advisers pen until January, and we receiving 2,000 vials of a new ling a pandemic that could be
David Bossie and Corey Le- With more than 100,000 new are in a complete crisis right antibody treatment. a “raging forest fire” by the
wandowski. Lewandowski confirmed U.S. cases report- now. We already know where White House officials de- time he takes office on Jan.
said Thursday that he be- ed daily for more than a week, this is headed. ... It’s not good clined to comment Thursday 20.
lieves he contracted the virus Trump has been more fo- enough to say we’re going to on when Trump last engaged
in Philadelphia while assist- cused on tracking the rollout wait until the next president with members of the corona- He added that even the
ing the president’s election of a vaccine, which won’t be to address this.” virus task force but insisted good news on Pfizer’s de-
challenge there. widely available for months. Meanwhile, state and local he remains focused on the velopment of a vaccine that
He has fumed that Pfizer in- officials around the country pandemic. showed 90% efficacy in early
Trump’s aggressive travel de- tentionally withheld an an- are scrambling in the midst “The president is regularly trial results could be dimin-
spite the virus has taken its nouncement about progress of mounting caseloads. briefed about the corona- ished if Trump doesn’t be-
toll on his protectors as well. on its vaccine trial until after virus,” said White House gin coordination efforts with
The U.S. Secret Service is ex- Election Day, according to a In New York, Gov. Andrew spokesperson Sarah Mat- Biden’s team on how to roll
periencing a significant num- White House official who Cuomo has issued an or- thews. “The relevant infor- out the vaccine. Some pub-
ber of cases, many believed to was not authorized to pub- der starting Friday for bars, mation is brought to him lic health experts believe the
restaurants and gyms to be on the big decisions, and task of persuading Americans
closed by 10 p.m., and has set then he moves forward in to take the vaccine and wide-
a cap of 10 people for private the way that’s best for our ly distributing it could be as
gatherings. In Illinois, pub- country.”On Friday, Trump complicated as the vaccine's
lic health officials asked em- was getting an update on development.
ployers to allow their person- Operation Warp Speed, the
nel to work from home when multi-agency effort to get a “I fear the next three months
possible and urged residents vaccine to market as speedily ahead could be the worst
to stay at home as much as and safely as possible. we’ve faced during the pan-
possible and skip nonessen- In the closing days of the demic,” Gostin said. “Ameri-
tial travel. campaign, Trump sought to ca is like a ship at storm, and
In Iowa, Republican Gov. reassure Americans that the the captain has decided to go
Kim Reynolds, who resisted country was “rounding the play golf.”