Published 13:03 IST, November 25th 2020
CDC has been 'anticipating' Biden transition, says 'looking forward to the change'
Senior US CDC health officials told sources of CNN that the leadership at CDC was looking forward to the change that the Biden administration will bring.
Officials at US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have long been anticipating for the Biden transition team to take over, wearied due to the Trump administration’s sluggish approach to the COVID-19 pandemic swelling in uncontrollable numbers across several states. While President-elect Joe Biden who the AP projected as the winner, will assume the presidency on Jan. 20, he had mentioned earlier that his team was ready to cooperate and work together bring the crisis under control. The former US Vice President was alarmed by the surge in reported COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations, and fatalities, and had demanded a “robust and immediate federal response.”
Senior US CDC health officials told sources of CNN that the leadership at CDC was looking forward to the change that the Biden administration will bring in addressing the precarious health crisis Trump administration had been critical about. They were quoted saying, that this is precisely what they’ve been “waiting for”, Biden’s landing team taking in charge of the situation and “rebuilding” the agency. A senior CDC official further informed that there was more enthusiasm in the agency for the Biden transition as there have been mounting expectations for the incoming team to introduce reforms to effectively manage the crisis. The broadcaster was also informed that the team was enthralled for Biden to take over as they were desperately looking to restart the regular COVID-19 briefings that US President Donald Trump had ordered to stop when the pandemic had initially hit. Officials looked forward to “a more visible role” with Biden transition.
Response 'woefully lacking'
Earlier, US President-elect Joe Biden had condemned the Trump administration’s handling of the pandemic, saying that a robust response had been “woefully lacking”. Biden asserted, pressing on the need to act as the caseload could double in weeks, that an immediate workable plan was needed on part of the US President. Biden remarks came as Trump rejected science and refused another lockdown meanwhile hospitals buckled for an overwhelming surge in ICU patients. As coronavirus raged, with more top aides and allies of the president testing positive, President Trump had remained absent from COVID-19 briefings and had instead focused on unfounded allegations of ‘election fraud’. Meanwhile, President-elect Joe Biden stressed that an “urgent action is needed today, now, by the current administration,” citing COVID-related fatalities reaching an average of more than 930 a day.
Updated 13:02 IST, November 25th 2020