During the final Presidential Debate on October 22, the pandemic was topic number one. Both candidates were asked at the beginning of the debate to explain how they would tamp down the surge of coronavirus cases that the nation is seeing once again in a majority of states. A current analysis showed that 42 states have seen hospitalizations from Covid-19 increase by more than 5% over the past two weeks, a key indicator of how quickly the disease is spreading.
During the Debate …
Joe Biden accused Trump of lacking a plan to stop the spread of the virus and warned of a “dark winter” ahead as the U.S. death toll from the disease climbed toward 220,000. He laid blame for the 220,000-plus American deaths as a consequence of the pandemic at Trump's door.
"Anyone who's responsible for that many deaths should not remain president of the United States of America," Biden said.
Trump once again blamed China for the virus and offered a defiant defense of his handling of the pandemic during which he made the misleading claim that his response stopped 2 million Americans from dying. While initial models did show that 2 million Americans could die from Covid-19, that was only if there were no interventions to stop the disease.
"It's not my fault that it came here," Trump said at one point, defending his handling of the virus. "It's China's fault."
And though the country is in the midst of a second deadly wave, Trump insisted on projecting an upbeat tone, claiming the U.S. is "rounding the turn." He said that the virus was "going away" and that a vaccine would be ready by the end of the year.
The president said: "We're learning to live with it." Biden countered: "Come on. We're dying with it."
Trump repeatedly suggested that a Biden White House would shut down the economy and be overly reliant on scientists and medical experts, instead of weighing the economic costs to the country.
"We are opening up our country," Trump said, adding that the U.S. is "learning to live with it." He continued: "We have no choice, we can't lock ourselves up in a basement like Joe does."
"I'm going to shut down the virus, not the country," Biden responded. "He says that we're learning to live with it. People are learning to die with it. You folks at home will have an empty chair at the kitchen table this morning."
(“Trump, Biden spar over virus, race in last debate.” Associated Press. October 23, 2020.)
Who Can Better Handle COVID-19?
In relation to their views on COVID-19, the contrast between the candidates could not be greater.
Trump has denied any responsibility for the coronavirus – including his refusal to inform the American public about his early detection of the disease and all its deadly complications – and he has discredited the scientific institutions tasked with managing the response. His refusal to encourage masking and social distancing while holding large campaign rallies endangers outbreaks and superspreading of the coronavirus. Also, the Trump White House has pressured states to reopen before they have contained their outbreaks. For all of this personal mismanagement, he simple blames China.
On the other hand, Biden sees his role as, fundamentally, removing the obstacles set up by the Trump administration that hindered an effective Covid-19 response. Biden would encourage mask mandates and, if necessary, new lockdowns. Congress has failed to appropriate any new funding for Covid-19 response since the spring; Biden and congressional Democrats want to make major new investments.
Biden believes the public needs to hear a new message from the government, one founded in good science. His top adviser and presumed chief-of-staff in waiting is Ron Klain, who oversaw the Obama administration’s Ebola response. He has convened an informal panel of experts, who have briefed him regularly on the state of the US outbreak and on the best strategies for containing it.
Taken together, the campaign is working toward what public health experts say is the most effective strategy for containing Covid-19:
A test-trace-isolate program,
Making mask-wearing and social distancing mandatory, and
Once the science supports it, an equitably distributed vaccine.
The Biden campaign believes it can flatten cases and deaths until a vaccine is widely available, potentially saving thousands of lives in the process.
(Dylan Scott. Joe Biden’s plan to beat the coronavirus.” Vox. September 28, 2020.)
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