Letter to the editor: Disjointed efforts to fight covid-19

Multiple sources have reported that the White House ignored warnings from U.S. intelligence in November 2019 about a deadly virus outbreak in China. Various government agencies had briefings which resulted in a detailed outline of the threat in the president’s daily briefing in early January. For the next two months the president downplayed the threat repeatedly. Why were we lied to? Why was early, aggressive action not taken? Why did he deny, delay and deflect? Why was information not shared with the public and the governors so that they knew the threat and could take action?

In past crises (World Wars I and II), our presidents invoked the War Powers Act so that profiteers could not inflate the price of needed supplies, and businesses had to manufacture what was essential. Our current disjointed efforts have allowed price gouging and entities bidding against one another for desperately needed supplies. Why no coordinated national plan to fight this virus war?

Why is there still not adequate PPE or tests, despite assurances from the administration that there is? Why do our institutions need to beg for needed supplies? Why no plan to assist food producers in getting their products to market rather than destroying food supplies while Americans go hungry? Why?

Lisa Messineo

Penn Township, Westmoreland County