COVID-19 Advisory Board
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.
Agency overview
November 2020
United States
Background[edit]
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.[3][4] In November 2020, he announced the names of 13 health experts to serve on the COVID-19 Advisory Board.[5] Biden pledged a more and larger federal government response to the pandemic than Donald Trump, akin to President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal during the Great Depression.[6] 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.[6] 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.[6]
Jeffrey Zients will work with the advisory board as the incoming White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator (czar).[7][8] Civil servant and political advisor, Natalie Quillian, will serve as Deputy Coronavirus Response Coordinator.[9]
Succession[edit]
The board was dissolved on January 20, 2021, after President Biden was sworn in.[1][2] The reason for the dissolution is unknown. The board was then succeeded by the White House COVID-19 Response Team upon Biden's presidency.