Worldwide, the COVID-19 outbreak has now reached pandemic levels. Inside the United States, however, we still have little idea of how far the virus has spread due to a federal response that has stymied widespread testing efforts.
That lack of testing means we no longer have the luxury of containing the virus in individual "hot spots." Experts are urging officials to take immediate steps to prepare for the next phase of the soon-epidemic: nationwide "social distancing" measures, closures, and "surge" support for hospitals soon to be overwhelmed with large numbers of COVID-19 patients.
A brief summary of today's events surrounding the COVID-19 now-pandemic:
• Lawmakers left a Centers for Disease Control briefing this morning baffled and outraged at the lack of information presented about the virus' current nationwide spread, with Rep. Sean Maloney calling it "simply the worst briefing I've ever received" while in Congress.
• Apparently similarly alarmed by the virus outlook and administration response, markets continued their sharp dives today.
• American travelers abroad were thrown into confusion over poorly worded and poorly explained federal actions announced in Donald Trump's speech on Wednesday, resulting in panic buying as Americans paid as much as $20,000 to secure immediate flights back from Europe.
• The speech was widely panned both for Trump's multiple apparently erroneous policy announcements and its lack of specific guidance to Americans on what to expect next, with conservative pundit David Frum calling it "the worst action yet in a string of bad actions."
• In response to grilling by California Rep. Katie Porter, Centers for Disease Control head Dr. Robert Redfield said the agency would be using its inherent emergency authority to cover free coronavirus testing nationwide (when available).
• After bowing to public pressure and canceling a looming Senate recess, Senate Republicans are still blocking emergency response measures proposed by Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Democrats. The two main objections are the inclusion of mandatory paid sick leave (a measure intended to reduce the presence of sick workers in the workplace), and an insistence that anti-abortion language be included in the bill.
• The House Oversight and Reform Committee is demanding that administration immigration officials explain their plans for coronavirus outbreaks in federal immigration detention centers.
• Five days after the visit, a Brazilian official present at Mar-a-Lago during Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro’s weekend visit has tested positive for the virus. Nevertheless, both Trump and Mike Pence deny that they have yet been tested.
• Before Trump's speech on Wednesday, Republicans and Democrats were still sharply divided on whether to take the COVID-19 threat seriously, due in large part to the downplaying of the potential dangers by conspiracy-theorizing Fox News hosts and other conservative pundits.