Question

Disaster Response COVID 19

Provides the steps that were taken by different agencies with regards to the COVID-19 situation at a national and local level based on references. Completes 250-500 words for full credit.

Answer 1

The response of the federal govt ( Central/ national) governmet will determine the outcome ultimately. Many responses have already been taken by all departments, but the most noteworthy are mentioned below.

At the national level: the following steps were taken:

1. CDC ( centre for Disease control and prevention)

a)  opened up multiple research laboratories that enabled research into the genomic structure of the virus. This helped in building potential cures and vaccines in the long term. It has also helped in producing high quality testing kits that can detect the genomic material of the virus. It is a cumulative response of the CDC that has made possible - so many test kits in the market now, and it is so much easier to get tested when compared to 6 months back.

b) The CDC has also streamlined and enabled multiple laboratories throughout the country to test samples at breakneck speed, hence becoming the worlds largest testing centre, when compared to other european and asian countries.

c) Disemmination of information: Provided accurate and detailed data to all stakeholders.

2.FDA : approved emergency basis - permission for new test kits/ drugs/ clinical research programmes to tackle the epidemic.

3. Travel/ immigration and Transport: recognized the need to immediately stop air ( domestic and international) travel with effective travel bans / interstate travel to limit the spread of covid19.

4. Finance: made available numerous strategies to bring back the economy and put in place compensatory mechanisms to fund small and medium sized business owners / also fund employees who lost their jobs etc.

LOCAL level: At the local level, which is governed by different state poilitical parties, the response varied depending on their political leaning. Many states ordered lockdowns, mask mandates, restaurant closures and school closures, while some states preferred a more open approach with minimal closures and advocated social distancing more ardidly than masks. Testing was made available in all states.