Trump, stewing over election loss, silent as virus surges

President Donald Trump has publicly disengd from battle against coronavirus at a moment when disease is tearing across United States at an alarming pace.

Trump, fresh off his reelection loss to President-elect Joe Biden, remains angry that an anuncement about progress in developing a vaccine for disease came after Election Day. And aides say president has shown little interest in growing crisis even as new confirmed cases are skyrocketing and hospitals intensive care units in parts of country are nearing capacity.

Public health experts worry that Trump’s refusal to take aggressive action on pandemic or to coordinate with Biden team during final two months of his presidency will only worsen effects of virus and hinder nation’s ability to swiftly distribute a vaccine next year.

White House coronavirus task force held its first post-election meeting Monday. Officials discussed rising case numbers, promise of a vaccine in development by Pfizer, and recognized service of Navy Rear m. John Polowczyk, a member of task force who retired Monday.

But Trump, who does t take part in task force meetings, remains preoccupied with last week’s election results. He has yet to weigh in on recent spike in virus cases that has state and local officials scrambling, and hospitals concerned about ir ability to treat those stricken.

With more than 100,000 new confirmed U.S. cases reported daily for more than a week, Trump has been more focused on tracking rollout of a vaccine, which won’t be widely available for months. He has fumed that Pfizer intentionally withheld an anuncement about progress on its vaccine trial until after Election Day, according to a White House official who spoke on condition of anymity because y were t authorized to publicly comment. Pfizer said it did t purposely withhold trial results.

Though president has consistently played down pandemic, which has killed more than 240,000 Americans and infected more than 10 million people in U.S., public health experts expressed worry about Trump’s silence on troubling spike in cases, as well as his refusal to begin coordination on virus issues with Biden's transition team.

“It’s a big problem,” said Dr. Abraar Karan, a global health specialist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. “ transition is t going to happen until January and we are in a complete crisis right w. We alrey kw where this is heed. ... It’s t good eugh to say we’re going to wait until next president to dress this.”

president’s silence comes as as numerous White House and campaign officials have tested positive for virus in recent days.

White House chief of staff Mark Meows tested positive last week after attending an election night party at White House. Ors at party also have tested positive, including White House political director Brian Jack, former White House aide Healy Baumgardner, and Trump campaign visers David Bossie and Corey Lewandowski. Lewandowski said Thursday he believes he contracted virus in Philelphia while assisting president’s election challenge re.

Meanwhile, state and local officials around country are scrambling in midst of mounting caselos. While Trump stays silent, y are urging ir residents to step up mask-wearing and social distancing, as y brace for what many epidemiologists worry is beginning of tumultuous period.

In New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo has issued an order starting Friday for bars, restaurants, and gyms to be closed by 10 p.m., and has set a cap of 10 people for private garings. In Illiis, public health officials asked employers to allow ir personnel to work from home when possible and urged residents to stay at home as much as possible and skip n-essential travel.

In Iowa, Republican Gov. Kim Reylds, who resisted coronavirus restrictions, anunced earlier this week that masks will w be required at indoor events of more than 25 people, and she banned outside events of 100 or more people unless all attendees wear masks.

Trump hasn’t answered questions since before Election Day. That hasn’t slowed his Twitter habit, but he’s used it almost exclusively in recent days to r over election results and spre unsubstantiated allegations of voter fraud.

By late Thursday afteron, Trump h tweeted or retweeted more than three dozen times that day. Just one was related to virus — a retweet of a posting by Sen. David Perdue about Georgia receiving 2,000 vials of a new antibody treatment.

White House officials declined to comment Thursday on when Trump last engd with members of coronavirus task force but insisted he remains focused on pandemic

“ president is regularly briefed about coronavirus,” said White House spokeswoman Sarah Matws. “ relevant information is brought to him on big decisions, and n he moves forward in way that’s best for our country.”

In closing days of campaign, Trump sought to reassure Americans that country was “rounding corner” on virus and he wrongly predicted that Democrats' focus on disease would go away right after election. president pushed a sunny public tone even after he tested positive for virus in early October and was hospitalized for three days after contracting virus. His wife, Melania, and teen son, Barron, also contracted virus.

Biden, for his part, largely framed election as a referendum on Trump’s handling of pandemic. He has me dressing virus his top priority as he moves forward with his transition. He spoke by phone Thursday with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Mirity Leer Chuck Schumer about intensifying pandemic and prospects for pass of a COVID-19 relief bill in lame duck session of Congress.

Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris met virtually with his new coronavirus visers this week, and Biden delivered remarks warning Americans that ’’ challenge before us right w is still immense and growing.”

“We could save tens of thousands of lives if everyone would just wear a mask for next few months. t Democratic or Republican lives, American lives,” Biden said in a speech this week. “Please, I implore you, wear a mask.”

Lawrence Gostin, a public health expert at Georgetown University’s law school, said Biden will only be able to “scratch surface” of tackling a pandemic that could be a “raging forest fire” by time he takes office on Jan. 20.

He ded that even good news on Pfizer’s development of a vaccine that showed 90% efficacy in early trial results could be diminished if Trump doesn’t begin coordination efforts with Biden’s team on how to roll out vaccine. Some public health experts believe task of persuing Americans to take vaccine and widely distributing it could be as complicated as vaccine's development.

“I fear next three months ahe could be worst we’ve faced during pandemic,” Gostin said. “America is like a ship at storm and captain has decided to go play golf.”