The COVID-19 Advisory Board was announced in November 2020 by
President-elect of the United States Joe Biden as part of his
presidential transition. It was co-chaired by physicians
David A. Kessler,
Marcella Nunez-Smith, and
Vivek Murthy and comprises 13 health experts. The board was then succeeded by the
White House COVID-19 Response Team upon Biden's presidency in January 2021.
Background
Before naming any White House staff or cabinet appointments, Biden announced that he will appoint a COVID-19 task force, co-chaired by former Surgeon General
Vivek Murthy, former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner
David Kessler and Yale University epidemiologist Professor
Marcella Nunez-Smith. In November 2020, he announced the names of 13 health experts to serve on the COVID-19 Advisory Board. Biden pledged a more and larger federal government response to
the pandemic than
Donald Trump, akin to President
Franklin D. Roosevelt's
New Deal
The New Deal was a series of programs, public work projects, financial reforms, and regulations enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the United States between 1933 and 1939. Major federal programs agencies included the Civilian Cons ...
during the
Great Depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
.
This would include increased testing for
SARS-CoV-2, a steady supply of
personal protective equipment, distributing a vaccine and securing money from Congress for schools and hospitals under the aegis of a national "supply chain commander" who would coordinate the logistics of manufacturing and distributing protective gear and test kits. This would be distributed by a "Pandemic Testing Board", also similar to Roosevelt's
War Production Board during
World War II.
Biden also pledged to invoke the
Defense Production Act more aggressively than Trump in order to build up supplies, as well as the mobilization of up to 100,000 Americans for a "public health jobs corps" of
contact tracers to help track and prevent outbreaks.
will work with the advisory board as the incoming White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator (
czar
Tsar ( or ), also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar'', is a title used by East and South Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word ''caesar'', which was intended to mean "emperor" in the European medieval sense of the ter ...
). Civil servant and political advisor, Natalie Quillian, will serve as Deputy Coronavirus Response Coordinator.
Succession
The board was dissolved on January 20, 2021, after
President Biden was sworn in.
[ The reason for the dissolution is unknown. The board was then succeeded by the White House COVID-19 Response Team upon Biden's presidency.
]
Members
There were 16 members of the COVID-19 advisory board, appointed by President of the United States Joe Biden. Three of the members, David A. Kessler, Vivek Murthy and Marcella Nunez-Smith, served as co-chairs.
See also
* Presidency of Joe Biden
* White House Coronavirus Task Force
References
{{Authority control
National responses to the COVID-19 pandemic
Organizations established for the COVID-19 pandemic
Task forces
U.S. federal government response to the COVID-19 pandemic
2020 establishments in the United States
2021 disestablishments in the United States
Presidency of Joe Biden