Friday, March 27, 2020

USA now has more cases than any country in the world Global – 542,788/24361 To my surprise yesterday, the POTUS sent a letter to Governors outlining a plan to reopen county by county while moniroring the spread of virus in the low risk counties. This was half-baked and never shown to Deb or I before it was sent out. It was derived by Jared and Kevin Hassett (modeler) and I cannot see how it can be implemented. I am surprised at Jared, who is usually very measured. This is reckless since it would require monitoring with much testing by CDC and they do not even know about it. Poor Bob Redfield is totally out of it. IMPORTANT DAY – There has been a disconnect between what we in the TF have been saying about the availability of PPE (particularly masks) and ventilators and whether the people in the trenchs (ICUs) sare actually getting them. We keep saying that the equipmen is out there and the medical centers just need to get them and the medical centrers are saying that they are trying to get them and either they do not know how or the USG is outbidding them for the equipment. I got on the phone via Cliff’s treatment guidelines committee that he is organizing and listened to ICU docs from all over the country. The are very fearful of running out of PPEs within days to a weeks. Ventilators are mostly a NYC issue; they may fall behing and still there is this tension of Cuomo asking for 30,000 vents and USG (us) sayng that the vents are in the warehouses; they just need to get them. I promise the group I would try to fix this nonsense. At the TF meeting, I took over and said we really have to stop this shit and fix this. We are acting like these people have everything they need and the fact is they do NOT. I was very empnatic and the VP (good for him) listened. We had FEMA (Pete ) and Adm Pete on the screen and the Adm acted like a rigis navy officer saying thsat they did their job and got the vents and PPEs to the warehouse and now it is up to the locals to get it distributed. I essentially said that this is bullshit and we need to communicate to them how they can actually get the material. I asked is it our job to just check our own boxes or are we trying to actually get the job done in real life. Clearly, Adm Pete is not happy with me, but so what! Hope Hicks, Kellyanne Conway strongly agree with me as does Marc Short and the VP. The VP order to make this happen. Also, the POTU finally invoked the DPA to have GM make ventilators and we are stopping (via me) saying that NYC has enough. Just give them what they ask for and if it is overkill, they they can return them and give to others. Important discussion with Deb Birx that I have some concern about. She is using a model from Chris Murray to plot out how to delay the POTUS from pulling the plug for at least 2 weeks more. Critical issue that I feel strongly about and discussed with Cliff is that if we are going to lift restraints on certain areas, we must have the capability of flooding the system with people to do identification, isolation (out of the home) and contact tracing. Otherwise, we will precipitate a surge as is NYC, NOLA, and other locales. Big discussion coming over the weekend. POTUS signed $2.2 Trillion (uo to $6.2 trillion) relief package for the economy to give aid to laid off workers and other vulnerables. POTUS signed bill in the OVAL and actually delayed the signing until I wsa called from the lower West Wing lobby to be there for the signing. When I entered the OVAL the POTUS said, “Anthony, come here with us. I cannot sign this without you being here”. The entire crowd in the OVAL including several Senate (McConnell) and House (McCarthy) leaders and Cabinet members present applauded me as I entered. Very embarrassing. I am not comfortable with this attention. After the signinf, the POTUS asked me and others to make comments before the many TV cameras that were let into the OVAL Very laborious press conference where the POTUS rambled on. He wasted the opportunity to just focus on the relief package and went inot his diatribe against previous administrations. SECURITY ISSUES – Threats on the “dark web” abainst me, Chris and the girls. They know everything about us including where my daughters live and work. Strange people hanging around my house and taking photos of the house. DC police now stationed at my house in addition to ISG agents with me all the time. HHS is giving me heavy security with ISG agents (Lonetto et al) guarding me 24 hrs. Agent George Adams assigned to me. PRESS: Bloomdaddy Radio Show – Pittsburgh; Morning News with Brian Haldane Radio Baton Rouge – both right wing radio shows; Press in the OVAl with the signing; some press at the Presser. MAR. 28, 2020 (Saturday) – 509,000/23300; USA 104,200/1700; NYC – 26700/450. Cases still escalating. First day with full sceurity Lindsey Graham trying to help. Will go on TV and opush my message of holding off the POTUS to pull the plug too soon. Gov. J.B. Pritzker called with report of death of a 9 month old from COVID-19 in Chicago. Prtiztker concerned that this will generate panic in mothers throughout the USA. May be 1st infant in USA to die of COVID-10 The USNS Comfort taking off from Norfolk, VA to NYC to supply beds and treatment for non-COVID-19 patients in order to free up on shore beds for COVID. Also, the USNS Mercy has already arrived in LA for same purpose The “swag” around me is getting really ridiculous. You can but Fauci T-shirts, mugs, donuts, sweat shirts, candles, pillows, etc. Geeeez!! I do not like this one bit. AMAZING interaction with POTUS. Today Trump tweeted that he was considering quarantining the NY tri-state area (NYC, NJ. CN). This triggered a major news buzz. Gov. Cuomo called me; I was in my NIH office getting ready to do the Saturday TF meeting from the NIH SCIF. Cuomo asked me to help dissuade the POTUS since he (Cuomo) would have to forcibly push back on this and would defy National Guard troops sent to enforce the Q. At the TF meeting we had major discussions lead by VP. I helped convince people that a quarantine was not tenable and that we should recommend to POTUS to do a “strong travel advisory” that the governors would strongly support instead of having the Feds enforce a quarantine. I thought that I was finished for the night and would go home to an evening off when the VP said I should come down to his office and we should, together with Deb, Chad Wolff, Steve Mnuchin, Mark Meadows, Marc Short meet with the POTUS to tell him our recommendation to announce tomorrow. We met with the POTUS in the living quarters (not the OVAL) for about 1 hour. I led the discussions since the POTUS kept referring to me. It was a disturbingly rambling discussion since he kept talking about TV ratings, and HC, and influenza and virtually everything else as I was trying to keep him on track (with the help of the VP). Finally, we got him to agree to “travel advisory” and not quarantine. We wanted to announce tomorrow, but he wanted to tweet this tonight. He also said he wanted to get the Governors on board and so he wanted to call Gov Cuomo (NY), Gov Murphy (NJ), Gov. Ned Lamont (CN). And so, we adjourned to the Lincoln Study and finalized the language for the Advisory right at the Lincoln desk where the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. I kept insisting that they do not slip and let the CDC (from whom the Advisory must come) to use their words of “DO NOT TRAVEL”. Also, I insisted through the rambling and lack of attention span that the POTUS explicitly say that this is NOT a quarantine. Finally, he individually called the 3 Governors starting off by saying “I am here with Tony and a few other people…..” Cuomo was OK but questioned to be explicit as to just what “Advisory” meant. We go it straightened out and before he went to the other Govs, he called up Sean Hannity to schmooze about TV ratings (I am not kidding). Finally, he got to the other Governors and we stopped for the nigh. Marc Short will work with CDC to get the right language out and the POTUS will tweet this later. I texted Cuomo saying that I had pushed back and we had avoided the quarantine. He responded: “I know that. It wasn’t his conscience. He would have made a terrible mistake for the nation. I would have had to organize the Governors to rebel. Last thing we need. Thank you….on behalf of all of us.” WHAT A NIGHT!!! PRESS: Desus and Mero Showtime TV;