Mike Pompeo and Alex Azar: Our coronavirus response is protecting Americans
https://windy.app/coronavirus_map
Opinion contributor
Published 12:06 PM EST Feb 11, 2020
The Trump Administration's Coronavirus Response Is Protecting Americans
"The first duty of the federal government is to keep our citizens safe. Since the United States first became aware on Dec. 30 of what has become known as the novel coronavirus, America's public health officials have closely monitored the situation, worked to understand the virus and taken steps to limit Americans' exposure to it," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and HHS Secretary Alex Azar write in USA Today.
"We've worked swiftly to screen and safely receive American travelers returning from China, and bar foreign travelers who have recently visited the epicenter of the outbreak."
The first duty of the federal government is to keep our citizens safe. Since the United States first became aware on Dec. 30 of what has become known as the novel coronavirus, America’s public health officials have closely monitored the situation, worked to understand the virus and taken steps to limit Americans’ exposure to it.
Our task force is ensuring that our whole of government, layered, public health plan has the resources necessary to protect Americans. We’ve treated the sick, and traced back their travel history and contacts to minimize the spread of the virus. We’ve worked swiftly to screen and safely receive American travelers returning from China, and bar foreign travelers who have recently visited the epicenter of the outbreak.
Consistent with the World Health Organization International Health Regulations, our travel restrictions were intentionally devised to complement the Chinese government’s policy of isolating approximately 50 million of its own citizens in Hubei province. Other nations, such as Italy and South Korea, have taken similar measures.
Our efforts in China
Thus far, the United States has only had 13 confirmed cases of the virus. We were saddened to hear last week that one American, a 60-year-old woman in Wuhan, China, has died. But we’re undeterred in our vigilance to protect our people. And we’re mobilizing resources around the world to help other nations fight the disease, too. This is American altruism at its finest.
Let’s start with our efforts focused on the country where the virus first appeared — China. In the words of President Donald Trump, “We're offering them tremendous help.” During the first week of January, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention made an offer of assistance in order to understand the disease and help bolster response efforts.
The Department of Health and Human Services subsequently provided to the WHO a list of world-class medical professionals ready to deploy their skills in China and learn from China’s efforts to combat this new coronavirus. In the last week of January, Secretary Azar personally extended an offer of help to Health Minister Ma Xiaowei; Secretary Pompeo did the same with Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi. We hope the mission will commence immediately, whether bilaterally or under the auspices of the WHO.
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We’ve also facilitated the delivery of vast amounts of medical supplies to the Chinese people. Just last week, the State Department helped transport 17.8 tons of relief supplies to Hubei. And more assistance will continue to be offered — the United States is prepared to spend up to $100 million in existing State and U.S. Agency for International Development funds to assist China and other impacted countries to contain and combat the virus.
While State managed the logistics, the donations themselves were provided by Samaritan’s Purse, Boeing, Intermountain Healthcare and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and coordinated by a nongovernmental organization called Project HOPE. Time and again, when diseases and disasters strike, the American people have stepped up to help citizens of other countries without being asked. Our robust charitable giving and enthusiastic civil society groups are channeling the American people’s concern for their fellow man.
Cooperation with other nations
Then there are America’s actions to help the citizens of other countries, beyond China. CDC staff based in more than 60 countries are working closely with ministries of health and other health partners, often in conjunction with their colleagues at the State Department and other federal agencies.
For instance, the United States has made coronavirus test kits available to 191 qualified laboratories around the world; so far, labs from 36 countries have put in orders. We’ve deployed staff to train health professionals in 15 hospitals in Vietnam. In Kenya, health experts at the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, as part of our Infectious Diseases Task Force, engaged the government early on to recommend best practices in airport screening and public health.
Our quick and effective reaction abroad is facilitated by partnerships that America has carefully nurtured over decades — long before the latest outbreak.
Editorial Board: Coronavirus offers reasons for concern but not for panic
We believe our actions will slow the transmission of the virus to and within the United States and other countries, solidify our ties of friendship with our allies and partners, and help save lives by giving us more time to refine preparedness measures and better understand the virus.
We all hope that our concerted efforts will control the virus and cause it to subside. But the world doesn’t need to wait for that day to see how America remains a force for good throughout the globe.
Michael R. Pompeo is the secretary of State and Alex M. Azar II is the secretary of Health and Human Services. Follow them on Twitter: @SecPompeo and @SecAzar
https://eu.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2020/02/11/pompeo-azar-coronavirus-response-cdc-who-protects-americans-column/4712857002/
USA holen US-Bürger von unter Quarantäne stehendem Schiff in Japan
AFP, 17.Feb. 2020
Die USA haben am Montag hunderte ihrer Staatsbürger von dem in Japan unter Quarantäne stehenden Kreuzfahrtschiff "Diamond Princess" geholt. 40 US-Passagiere hätten sich mit dem neuartigen Coronavirus infiziert und müssten in Krankenhäusern in Japan bleiben, sagte ein Vertreter der US-Gesundheitsbe-hörden dem Sender CBS am Sonntag. Die restlichen Passagiere wurden nach Angaben der US-Botschaft in Japan mit zwei Flugzeugen in die USA ausgeflogen, wo sie zwei Wochen unter Quarantäne gestellt werden.
Die Zahl der Todesopfer des Coronavirus in China stieg derweil auf 1770. 105 weitere Menschen starben an den Folgen der Erkrankung, wie die nationale Gesundheitskommission am Montag mitteilte. Insgesamt wurden mehr als 2000 Neuinfektionen gemeldet, davon 1933 aus der besonders betroffenen Provinz Hubei. Die Gesamtzahl der Krankheitsfälle in Festlandchina stieg damit auf mehr als 70.500.
Die US-Behörden hatten am Samstag mitgeteilt, dass rund 400 Menschen ausgeflogen würden. Eine der Betroffenen war die 52-jährige Sarah Arana. "Ich bin froh und bereit, zu gehen", sagte Arana der Nachrichtenagentur AFP vor dem Verlassen des Schiffes. "Wir brauchen eine richtige Quarantäne. Das hier war keine." Die US-Regierung hätte "viel früher" handeln sollen, erklärte sie.
Einige US-Passagiere lehnten es jedoch ab, das Schiff zu verlassen. "Meine Gesundheit ist in Ordnung. Und meine zweiwöchige Quarantäne ist fast vorbei. Warum sollte ich mich mit anderen Menschen, von denen man annimmt, dass sie infiziert sind, in einen Bus und ein Flugzeug setzen lassen?", schrieb der US-Anwalt Matt Smith, der zusammen mit seiner Frau an Bord war, im Kurzbotschaftendienst Twitter.
Die "Diamond Princess" wird seit Anfang Februar wegen des Coronavirus im Hafen von Yokohama unter Quarantäne gehalten. Auf dem riesigen Schiff mit mehr als 3000 Menschen an Bord befindet sich die größte Gruppe an Coronavirus-Patienten außerhalb Chinas. Bei 355 Passagieren wurde bis Sonntag eine Infektion nachgewiesen, wie das japanische Gesundheitsministerium mitteilte. Ob die 40 US-Bürger in dieser Zählung mit inbegriffen waren, war zunächst unklar.
Bis Sonntag wurden nach Angaben des japanischen Gesundheitsministeriums 1219 Passagiere getestet. Wegen Material- und Personalmangels konnten bisher nicht alle Menschen an Bord getestet werden. Die Passagiere auf der "Diamond Princess" stammen aus insgesamt rund 50 Ländern. Auch Hongkong, Kanada, Australien, Israel und Italien haben angekündigt, ihre Staatsbürger an Bord des Schiffes in Sicherheit zu bringen.
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