New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Sunday’s broadcast of CNN’s “State of the Union” that the United States “only hope” to stop the coronavirus outbreak is if the federal government “realizes we’re in a war and takes over the situation.
Host Brianna Keilar asked, “The president made several claims on Friday that the White House later had to clarify. Are you getting clear information from the White House, from the Trump Administration?”
De Blasio said, “No, Brianna, we haven’t for so long. On January 24, I held a press conference at the emergency management office, calling for the federal government to support us with localized testing. We didn’t get the ability to do localized testing until just about two weeks ago. We’re playing a huge game of catch-up in this country. Let me say it very bluntly. The federal government, at least in the last few days, has started to come alive and do something, but we are so far behind. We need massive testing all over the country, particularly in the affected areas. We need the federal government to take over the supply chain right now. Right now we have to make sure that the places in this country that need more ventilators, that need surgical masks, that need hand sanitizer, that that is a federalized dynamic where those factories that produce those goods are put on 24/7 shifts and those goods are distributed where they’re needed most as in wartime.”
“Right behind that is the question of food and basic supplies,” he continued. “If the federal government r this is the equivalent of a war already, there is no way the states and localities can make all the adjustments we need to. I agree with Governor DeWine. I’ll reach across the aisle are we’re all on our own in so many ways, and I think mayors and governors are doing their best to quickly improvise, mobilize the cities, cancel elective surgeries. We cannot control the supply chain. We cannot control the foundation of where our medical supplies and equipment come from. The only hope is that the federal government actually wakes up and realizes we’re in a war and takes over the situation and determines how we can actually get through this.”
Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN