President-to-be Joe Biden announced on Monday who will join his twelve-member team of experts that will make recommendations to get the coronavirus under control.
Among them is Rick Bright, a whistleblower fired after criticizing the Trump administration’s corona policies.
Bright warned in May of the “worst winter in modern history” in the US if the government did not change its approach to the virus. The team is led by doctors David Kessler, Vivek Murthy and Marcella Nunez-Smith. Another member of the team is Luciana Borio, an expert in public health emergencies.
The team must pave the way for a firmer federal policy if Biden takes over from President Trump in January. This includes advising on how to deal with increasing rates of infection, ensuring that vaccines are safe and effective and that they are distributed legally.
“Facing the coronavirus pandemic is one of the most important battles of our government, and I will be informed by the science and experts,” said Biden. Trump often ignored the advice of scientists.
The number of corona infections and deaths in the US continues to increase. More than a thousand people die from Covid-19 every day.
Trump lost the election, according to some observers, in part because his administration has responded inadequately to the corona pandemic. Biden has strongly criticized Trump and co’s corona approach throughout the campaign.
World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Monday he was looking forward to working with Biden’s government. Trump previously announced that he would cut ties with the organization. The world must unite in the fight for global health, Tedros said.