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The Covid-19 Pandemic
Background Information:
Cases of a new virus resembling pneumonia were first identified in Wuhan,
China, in December 2019. Scientists quickly learned that the virus was contagious
and Chinese authorities were urged to implement lockdowns and border closures in an attempt to contain the new epidemic. 96 Unfortunately, the virus had already
spread to the U.S. and Europe via travellers, and the toll of known cases rose
exponentially. In the United States, there was a divided first political response.
Whilst the White House promptly issued a public health emergency and
suspended any individuals who had visited China within the last 2 weeks from
re-entering the United States, the President was consistently making public comments downplaying the crisis: 97
“We have it totally under control. It’s one person coming in from China, and we have it under control. It’s going to be just fine.”
- President Donald Trump, Interview with CNBC, January 22 nd 2020
On March 11th 2020, The World Health Organisation declared COVID-19 as
a global pandemic. By the end of the month, the United States became one of the
most affected countries, with 81,231 confirmed cases and more than 1,000 deaths,
yet governments remained uncoordinated across the country, with each state
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