Highlights: Combating the Coronavirus Virtual Forum

GRACE XU: Last Thursday, the Georgetown University Institute of Politics and Public Service (GU Politics) hosted its first virtual event, convening four leading experts for a conversation on federal, state, and local government responses to the COVID-19 crisis. 

Moderated by GU Politics Executive Director Mo Elleithee, the online panel involved Dr. Jeff Colyer, former Governor (R-KS) and member of the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services; Dr. Rebecca Katz, director of Georgetown’s Center for Global Health Science and Security; Ron Klain, U.S. Ebola Response Coordinator under the Obama Administration; and Tony Sayegh, former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury under the Trump Administration. 

Topics of the discussion ranged from the economic impacts of the coronavirus on American families to the ways in which public health experts and government leaders are messaging their response to the outbreak. 

Dr. Katz kicked off the conversation by addressing the differences in government responses to the coronavirus around the world. She highlighted how unlike the United States, South Korea was “ready to act” with immediate quarantines, contact tracing, and widespread testing and noted that its population was “willing to comply with the direction of the government.” 

Following up with his analysis of how the U.S. has handled the pandemic, Klain asserted, “We have fallen behind every single developed country in the world. There is no reason why the United States should be so far behind.” Although he praised the work of Republican governors such as Larry Hogan (MD) and Mike DeWine (OH), he reiterated that the Trump administration’s response “will be studied as a disastrous, failed effort.” He further warned that “hospitals are about to be overrun with patients.” 

Dr. Colyer then addressed the biggest challenges facing local and rural governments. He compared the current situation to war and stressed the need for strong leadership “in an entirely different political decision-making environment.” Drawing from his personal experience as a healthcare professional, he argued that the spread of the virus poses a particular problem for hospitals in rural communities. These communities lack the medical personnel and financial resources to deal with an increasing number of cases. 

Tackling the economic implications of the crisis, Sayegh gave an overview of the Congressional relief packages that have been passed and specific aid targets, such as small businesses and the labor market. He concluded, “This is an unprecedented crisis with no established playbook…To view this entire crisis through a partisan lens misses the point.” 

Elleithee directed the last general question to all the panelists: “At a time when many of us out here are terrified, how should our leaders be messaging this [crisis] to the American people? What would you encourage everyone from the President to local mayors to be saying to us?”

Dr. Katz responded first, acknowledging that both medical professionals and government leaders may ultimately end up “asking people to sacrifice some of their personal liberties, [and] to stay home” as necessary actions for “protecting our society and our most vulnerable communities.” 

Klain focused on the national government’s role, arguing that “the President’s incongruous statements have reversed the idea of confidence and security…We need transparency, we need candor, and we need science-backed leadership.” 

Emphasizing that the pandemic is “going to be a long battle,” Colyer stated that he “respectfully disagreed” with Klain’s assessment of the Trump administration’s response. “We have to communicate that we’re with you. We’re going to fight together as Kansans, as Americans…This is a fight that we’re going to win,” he elaborated.

Sayegh echoed Colyer in his prediction that the crisis “will probably get worse before it gets better.” He called on the audience to not only remain optimistic, but also understand that “the President has taken a much bolder role in this crisis, and he is surrounded by people giving the right guidance.”

A brief, heated exchange between Klain and Sayegh followed, with both disputing the implications of President Trump’s use of the term “China virus” in reference to COVID-19. While Klain repeatedly attacked the diction as “racist,” Sayegh pushed back by citing how in the earliest reporting on the issue, “almost every media channel referred to it as the ‘Wuhan virus.’” Dr. Katz wrapped up the discussion by pointing out that the coronavirus “has a recognized name: COVID-19.” 

The event concluded with a question-and-answer session, during which the panelists addressed the differences between federal and local government responsibilities, the ideological implications of certain relief measures, rural coronavirus testing, and the media’s role in providing clarity during a crisis. 

In response to the final question about a possible second wave and the long-term feasibility of current policies, Dr. Katz affirmed that public health professionals are still working through the modeling, and any return to a functioning society and economy may require effective quarantine technology yet to be developed. 

Grace Xu hails from Atlanta, Georgia and is a freshman in the School of Foreign Service studying International Politics.