Biden will have a hard time fulfilling his campaign promise to take control of the virus
Biden’s biggest campaign promise was to get the coronavirus crisis under control. But a day after his inauguration, he’s liable to find himself between the hammer and the anvil, given the very limited tools available to the federal government. COVID-19 is out of control in America. The numbers are starting to look seriously concerning. There are almost 200,000 new cases per day, with an average 1,100 deaths daily over the past week. In 26 states, the test positivity rate is over 10%. This is a scary statistic. In South Dakota the rate of positive tests is 58.8. in Kansas it’s 58.7, and in Iowa 52.6. To stop the virus at this point without drastic measures such as banning large gatherings or lockdowns will be difficult.
Biden has said repeatedly that one of his first acts as president will be to enforce a national mask mandate. But in reality, it’s the states that decide this. The administration can recommend that governors pursue specific measures, but when Biden moves into the Oval Office in the depths of winter, the virus may already have reached a point where mask wearing alone is not sufficient, and much more drastic measures are required. Not to mention that many states and governors view mask-wearing from the perspective of personal liberty, and refuse to make it compulsory. Even if Biden speaks personally with every governor, there’s no saying they’ll listen to him.
The president-elect has set up a 13-member coronavirus advisory board of top infectious disease experts. Their role is to translate Biden’s plans for curbing the virus into specific policy proposals.
But what can the president-elect do? Lockdown, as of now, is out of the question. One of his coronavirus advisors, Michael Osterholm, was forced to retract his statement to the effect that four- to six-week lockdowns would be required.
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