New York Governor Cuomo Urges President Trump to Lead National Response to Coronavirus Pandemic

Coronavirus / Industry News

March 17, 2020

New York Governor Cuomo Urges President Trump to Lead National Response to Coronavirus Pandemic

In an op-ed letter addressed to President Trump in The New York Times, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo urged the Trump Administration to take charge of the nation’s Coronavirus response.

“Every country affected by this crisis has handled it on a national basis,” Cuomo wrote. “The United States has not. State and local governments alone simply do not have the capacity or resources to do what is necessary, and we don’t want a patchwork quilt of policies.”

Cuomo recommended three key steps:

“First…you must stop the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from overregulating the testing process and authorize states to certify a wider array of testing labs and methods.

“Second…there should be a uniform federal standard for when cities and states should shut down commerce and schools, or cancel events.”

Cuomo added, “The federal government must not only make aid available, it must also ensure that its assistance is distributed in clear, uniform ways. No state should be penalized for doing the right thing in trying to protect its residents during this crisis.”

And, “Third, you must anticipate that, without immediate action, the imminent failure of hospital systems is all but certain. At this point, our best hope is to utilize the Army Crops of Engineers to leverage its expertise, equipment and people power to retrofit and equip existing facilities—like military bases or college dormitories—to serve as temporary medical centers.”

Click here to read Cuomo’s letter.

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