Choucair will be Biden’s representative to expedite the delivery of the vaccine and coordinate with state and local authorities. Biden and his allies credited the Trump administration’s effort to accelerate the development of the Covid-19 vaccine through its “Operation Warp Speed” initiative, but warned that the rate of fire delivery fell short of the government’s promised targets. Authorities promised to vaccinate 20 million Americans by the end of the year, but the Centers for Disease Control said on Tuesday that only 2.1 million Americans received their first injection.
“The Trump administration’s plan to distribute vaccines is lagging behind. Far behind,” Biden said in remarks on Tuesday afternoon. “I guided my team to prepare a much more aggressive effort with more federal involvement and leadership to get things back on track.”
Meanwhile, the president-elect chose Carole Johnson, the commissioner for the New Jersey department of human services and former senior health adviser at the Obama-Biden White House, as the country’s new Covid-19 exam coordinator. Johnson, who has worked on strategies to combat the Ebola and Zika epidemics as a member of the White House Domestic Policy Council health team, will focus on expanding testing in schools, nursing homes and other settings – and for high-income populations. risk that were hard hit by the pandemic.
Biden’s aides said Johnson should take on a broader role than Brett Giroir, assistant secretary for the Department of Health and Human Services, which President Donald Trump chose to serve as Covid-19’s national testing coordinator this year and who was often pressed for testing shortages.
“Testing is an area that we believe has been underutilized and under-resourced, and is critical to an effective public health response,” Jeff Zients, Biden’s new coronavirus coordinator, told POLITICO. “We need to intensify testing to include asymptomatic patients and do more tests.”
Johnson will also chair the new Biden National Pandemic Testing Council, which, according to the president-elect, will ensure that tests are allocated fairly and quickly. Biden compared the test panel to former President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s War Production Council, which rapidly increased production of military vehicles and supplies during World War II.
In addition, Biden chose Tim Manning, who served as deputy administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency for the entire eight years of the Obama-Biden administration, to be the country’s new Covid-19 supply coordinator. Manning currently advises the Pacific Disaster Center, which is overseen by the University of Hawaii, and is on the faculty at Georgetown University. State officials and public health advocates criticized the Trump administration for the scarcity of protective equipment, tests and other supplies during this year’s Covid-19 response, and Biden advisers said Manning will be empowered to avert future challenges.
“It will identify any potential shortages and also the possible need for [Defense Production Act] action, “said Zients.
Biden and his aides say that each of the three employees will address key priorities to contain the Covid-19 crisis.
“To recover from this pandemic, we must take aggressive measures to equitably manufacture, distribute and administer vaccines, tests and personal protective equipment,” said the president-elect in a statement. “These individuals are deeply qualified and will restore public confidence in responding to the pandemic by leading with facts, science and integrity.”
Choucair, Johnson and Manning will report to Zients. The positions are full-time at the White House, said a transition officer.
Zients told POLITICO that the next Biden government will count on Congressional support for its agenda.
“We need enough funding from Congress to increase testing. We need enough funding from Congress to administer the vaccines,” said Zients. “Therefore, Congress will need to act and provide the resources so that we can reopen schools, increase testing and ensure that we administer vaccines.”
Biden also appointed additional members to his Covid-19 team, bringing back a number of familiar faces from the Obama administration and health policy circles.
Sonya Bernstein, who served as deputy chief of staff to former HHS secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell, will be senior policy advisor to the Covid-19 team. Prior to joining the transition, Bernstein was an assistant vice president of NYC Health + Hospitals.
Cyrus Shahpar, who worked on the global rapid response at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, will be the data director for the Covid-19 team. Prior to joining the transition, Shahpar was vice president of Epidemic Intelligence at Resolve to Save Lives, an initiative led by Tom Frieden, who served as director of the CDC during the Obama administration.
Courtney Rowe, who helped lead strategic communications at the Obama-Biden White House, was chosen as director of strategic communications and involvement for the Covid-19 team. Rowe most recently served as vice president of corporate communications for National Geographic Partners.
Eduardo Cisneros, who served in the Department of Labor during the Obama administration, will be the director of intergovernmental affairs for the Covid-19 team. Cisneros currently works with civic engagement and government relations at AltaMed Health Services and previously worked at SEIU Healthcare, among other roles.
Osaremen Okolo, who previously served as health advisor to Rep. Jan Schakowsky and Senator Patty Murray, was appointed policy advisor to the Covid-19 team. Clarke Humphrey, who served as deputy digital director for the Biden-Harris campaign, was chosen as the team’s digital director.
Biden’s Covid-19 team could add more employees as the response evolves, said a transition officer.
“It is a big execution challenge,” said Zients. “Perhaps the biggest execution challenge the federal government has ever faced.”