Biden unveils national strategy that Trump resisted

Unlike his predecessor, President Biden is embracing a more centralized strategy for managing the COVID-19 pandemic. He signed a flurry of executive orders and presidential directives on January 21, including one that institutes new mask mandates for interstate travel, one that creates a national board to expand access to testing, and another that requires international visitors to quarantine upon arrival in the United States. Biden pitched his National Strategy for the COVID-19 Response and Pandemic Preparedness as a “wartime effort” and did not soft-pedal the grim details. The number of U.S. deaths linked to COVID-19, he projected, could surpass 500,000 next month. To rein in the public health crisis, the president is also calling for use of the Defense Production Act as needed to increase vaccine supply, the release of workplace safety guidelines, new guidance on reopening schools and businesses, and federal reimbursement to states that leverage the National Guard to expedite vaccinations. Analysts say the Biden roadmap is overly optimistic in some ways and short-sighted on other points. What is more certain is that the White House’s handling of the crisis will shape the public’s view of the administration. “History is going to measure whether we are up to the task,” Biden acknowledged.