Trump Expanding Safety Net Coverage in Wake of COVID-19

HHS has announced expanded Medicare/Medicaid services. HUD has suspended evictions and foreclosures through April.

President Donald J. Trump, joined by Vice President Mike Pence and members of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, points to a reporter for a question during a coronavirus update briefing Monday, March 16, 2020, in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House. (Official White House Photo by Tia Dufour)

Breaking New Ground

In humanity’s age-old fight against infectious diseases, the world-wide response to the COVID-19 outbreak is undoubtably unprecedented.

Experts, scientists, government officials; the public and private sector, individuals and companies, the collective knowledge of nations around the world: All have been brought to bear on this current challenge.

The level of cooperation, the scientific advancements over the last century, the availability of good data, the powerful new ways to analyze that data; it is a historical perfect storm of capability.

In the U.S., reaction to the coronavirus was sluggish at first; but with each successive day in the past week has come new closures, more strident measures; more fear. And a probably a certain amount of fear-mongering.

When President Donald Trump announced the ban on travelers from China, it was a surprise; no other U.S. administration had ever dared take such a step. Not in response to H1N1/Swine Flu, not even in response to Ebola- which has symptoms too terrifying to mention, and the deadliest strain of which has a 90% mortality rate.