Joe Biden’s first job is coronavirus
A first step to restoring US prestige would be rejoining the WHO
It has been a long few days for Americans as counting continued in their general election. Now that Joseph Biden has been declared President-Elect, the real work, however, begins in earnest. In the four days between casting their votes and the declaration of victory for the Biden-Harris ticket, more than 400,000 in America have contracted coronavirus, 16 states declared record daily infections and the death toll in the pandemic is closing in on 240,000. More cases have been announced in the past week alone in the US than during any other week since this virus reached the nation’s shores.
Simply put, this is the issue that matters now – literally one of life and death. And Biden and his transition team are getting down to work now. By Monday, President-Elect Biden will form a special panel – its members include a former surgeon general, the former head of the Food and Drug Administration and a Yale professor. While the Trump administration still technically controls the public health policy levers, the Biden task force will move swiftly to ensure that the public health response to the pandemic is co-ordination, targeted, effective and has leadership.
Restoring US membership of the WHO would send a clear message that times have changed and there’s a new sheriff in town. It isn’t about America first, but rather putting the health and safety of us all first, together. Yes, we are all stronger together – and better armed to fight this pandemic
Sadly, for the many Americans who have died or suffered because of this virus, effective action can’t come soon enough. Now mask wearing and other common sense public health measures too will sensible form the backbone of these measures on the ground – at least six key advisors in the White House have now just contracted coronavirus, bringing the virus once more to the a place where it wasn’t taken seriously.
These new measures and action plans can’t come quick enough, but we are under no illusion over the scale and size of their mission. What’s more, it is now time too for President-Elect Biden to look beyond American and to help lead the global response against this pandemic.
The global community yearns for an American president who can harness his nation’s undoubted resources to assist the global efforts against coronavirus. It has pained many to see the previous administration spread derision by shunning the World Health Organisation and cut its funds at such a critical juncture.
Restoring US membership of the WHO would send a clear message that times have changed. It isn’t about America first, but rather putting the health and safety of us all first, together. Yes, we are all stronger together – and better armed to fight this pandemic.