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Rabu, 15 April 2020

Bill Gates calls Trump's decision to halt funding for WHO 'as dangerous as it sounds' - CNBC

Bill Gates

Photo by Inga Kjer/Photothek via Getty Images

Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates is defending the World Health Organization, blasting President Donald Trump's decision to halt funding for the U.N. agency in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

Microsoft co-founder and his wife, Melinda, voiced support for the WHO in separate Twitter posts early Wednesday, a day after Trump announced that he is halting U.S. funding while the administration reviews the agency's response to the Covid-19 outbreak.

"Halting funding for the World Health Organization during a world health crisis is as dangerous as it sounds. Their work is slowing the spread of COVID-19 and if that work is stopped no other organization can replace them. The world needs @WHO now more than ever," Gates tweeted.

The White House defended Trump's announcement.

"Any suggestion that the President is putting the health and safety of the American people or global health aid in jeopardy is false," deputy press secretary Judd Deere said in a statement. "The WHO's response to COVID has been filled with one misstep after another, and President Trump is standing up for the American taxpayer to ensure we hold WHO accountable for their flawed actions."

Gates has long focused on the health field within his work at the nonprofit Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, though he often avoids diving into political issues. However, he has been speaking out on the coronavirus pandemic. In late March he said the United States missed its chance to avoid mandated shutdowns because it didn't act fast enough on the pandemic.

Trump said Tuesday that his administration is suspending funding from the WHO as it investigates how the agency reacted to the coronavirus outbreak. Trump said the international health agency made mistakes that "caused so much death," as the virus continues to spread.

Since it emerged more than three months ago in Wuhan, China, the coronavirus has infected more than 1.9 million people worldwide and killed at least 125,678, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. The WHO designated the virus as a global health emergency on Jan. 30, when there were fewer than 10,000 confirmed cases across the globe.

It's unclear exactly what mechanism Trump intends to use to withhold WHO funding, much of which is appropriated by Congress. The president typically does not have the authority to unilaterally redirect congressional funding.

One option might be for Trump to use powers granted to the president under the Impoundment Control Act of 1974. Under this statute, the president may propose to withhold congressional funds and actually halt them for up to 45 days.

During that period, the president can seek congressional approval to redirect the funds for another purpose. Without approval, the funds must be returned to their original, congressionally mandated purpose after 45 days.

--CNBC's Berkeley Lovelace Jr. and Noah Higgins-Dunn contributed to this report.

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2020-04-15 15:16:30Z
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Bill Gates calls Trump's decision to halt funding for WHO 'as dangerous as it sounds' - CNBC

Bill Gates delivers a speech at the fundraising day at the Sixth World Fund Conference in Lyon, France, on October 10, 2019.

Nicolas Liponne | NurPhoto | Getty Images

The White House defended Trump's announcement.

--CNBC's Berkeley Lovelace Jr. and Noah Higgins-Dunn contributed to this report.

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Bill Gates calls Trump's decision to halt funding for WHO 'as dangerous as it sounds' - CNBC

Bill Gates delivers a speech at the fundraising day at the Sixth World Fund Conference in Lyon, France, on October 10, 2019.

Nicolas Liponne | NurPhoto | Getty Images

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates said the White House should not withhold funding from the World Health Organization during a global pandemic, hours after President Donald Trump announced his intent to do so while the U.S. reviews the agency's response to Covid-19.

Gates' wife Melinda posted an identical tweet Wednesday.

Gates has long focused on the health field within his work at the nonprofit Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, though he often avoids diving into political issues. He has, however, been speaking out on the coronavirus pandemic. In late March he said the United States missed its chance to avoid mandated shutdowns because it didn't act fast enough on the pandemic.

The Wednesday tweet is a response to Trump, who said Tuesday that his administration is suspending funding from the WHO as it investigates how the agency reacted to the coronavirus outbreak. Trump said the international health agency made mistakes that "caused so much death," as the virus continues to spread.

During that 45 day window, the president can seek congressional approval to redirect the funds for another purpose. Absent this approval, the funds must be returned to their original, congressionally mandated purpose after 45 days.

A White House spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

--CNBC's Berkeley Lovelace Jr. and Noah Higgins-Dunn contributed to this report.

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US marks highest number of deaths in a day after several days of a downward trend - CNN

The daily death toll was 2,405 on Tuesday, according to Johns Hopkins University's tally of cases, bringing the total number of US deaths to 26,033. At least 609,240 people have been infected with the virus in the US.

Despite the grim numbers, health officials have said they believe US numbers are leveling,

"There's no doubt what we've seen over the last several days is a flattening out," Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said Wednesday on NBC's "Today."

Still, officials are warning that states shouldn't yet ease up on social distancing measures because a resurgence of the virus is highly likely once Americans begin getting out of the house again.

What will be key to preventing another deadly wave in the country are the tools to track and monitor new cases.

"You want your resources to be able to very efficiently in real-time identify, isolate, and contact trace," Fauci said.

In the meantime, finding the right time to reopen the country is still a work in progress.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is working to make sure testing, contact tracing and an expanded public health capacity is in place as the country begins talking about opening back up, CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield said.

"This is going to be fundamental to maintain and contain cases as they occur and then make sure we have the health capacity to deal with this, as we work to regain the confidence of the American public that it's safe to go back to work," Redfield said Wednesday on "CBS This Morning."

CDC, FEMA have drafted a national plan to reopen US, report says

A team led by the CDC and the Federal Emergency Management Agency has drafted a strategy to return the country to work that includes guidance for local and state governments on how to reopen safely and in phases, the Washington Post reported.

Meanwhile, governors have begun diving into discussions about the first steps toward reopening their economies, with many of the nation's stay-at-home orders, as well as the federal government's social distancing guidelines, set to expire at the end of the month.

But many state leaders who are still seeing their number of cases climb say it's too soon to begin thinking about lifting any measures.

How will states know when to reopen?

Nearly a dozen states have begun working together to determine what the first steps should be once stay-at-home orders are lifted. But with experts cautioning that each state should be treated as a separate situation and assessed individually, there are still few answers to the questions of when each part of the country will begin reopening and what that will look like.

All that some state leaders have offered so far are indicators of when their state may begin thinking about reopening.

These states have formed regional coalitions to fight coronavirus and reopen their economies

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who said he'll be working with Washington and Oregon to determine a path forward, announced Tuesday a set of indicators that will help the state pin down the right time to begin lifting measures.

Those include the state's ability to track and monitor infected individuals through testing, contact tracing and isolating procedures, as well as its ability to prevent infection of at-risk groups.

"Science, not politics must be the guide. It cannot be ideological," he said. "We can't get ahead of ourselves. ... I don't want to make a political decision. That puts people's lives at risk."

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker told residents of his state he was expecting "difficult days and weeks ahead." He said officials have begun conversations around reopening the state but there's still a lot of work that needs to be done before a plan is set into motion.

California governor outlines plan to reopen in conjunction with West Coast states

The state will need to have testing, tracing, isolation and quarantine procedures in place to reopen, the governor said.

Baker, who will work together with other governors of the Northeast in a plan toward reopening said that while his priority is doing "what's right for Massachusetts," it will also help staying in sync with other state leaders.

Universities begin considering the possibility of canceling in-person classes until 2021

"I think it's going to be really important that we all pay attention to what the others are up to, and to make sure that nobody does anything that puts somebody in a really bad spot, because they just weren't thinking about what that impact was going to be on some other part of the Northeastern part of the US," he said.

In Ohio, Director of the Department of Health Dr. Amy Acton said that the state would first need to see a sustained decrease in the number of new cases -- so low that officials could trace each infected resident -- before considering reopening the state.

But even when that happens, until there's a vaccine, daily life won't look like it did before, the state's governor said, and institutions will need to take precautions to prevent further infections.

"Until there is a vaccine -- this monster is going to be working around us. When we start opening businesses and schools back up, it's going to be different," Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said.

We might not go back to normal for another 2 years

DeWine's assessment was underscored by researchers from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health who published findings Tuesday that projected the US may have to endure social distancing measures -- such as stay-at-home orders and school closures -- until 2022, unless a vaccine becomes available.

"Intermittent distancing may be required into 2022 unless critical care capacity is increased substantially or a treatment or vaccine becomes available," they wrote in their report.

US may have to endure social distancing until 2022 if no vaccine is quickly found, scientists predict

Those findings directly contradict research cited by the White House that suggests the pandemic could stop by this summer.

And much like experts have already warned, the Harvard team warned that another round of the virus is possible once social distancing measures are lifted.

"Even in the event of apparent elimination, SARS-CoV-2 surveillance should be maintained since a resurgence in contagion could be possible as late as 2024," they wrote.

CNN's Amanda Watts, Gisela Crespo, Joe Sutton, Jamiel Lynch, Keith Allen and Maggie Fox contributed to this report.

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2020-04-15 13:19:00Z
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Bill Gates calls Trump's decision to halt funding for WHO 'as dangerous as it sounds' - CNBC

Bill Gates delivers a speech at the fundraising day at the Sixth World Fund Conference in Lyon, France, on October 10, 2019.

Nicolas Liponne | NurPhoto | Getty Images

Gates' wife Melinda posted an identical tweet Wednesday.

A White House spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

--CNBC's Berkeley Lovelace Jr. and Noah Higgins-Dunn contributed to this report.

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Bill Gates slams Trump's decision to halt WHO funding: 'As dangerous as it sounds' - Fox News

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Following President Trump's announcement the U.S. will halt funding to the World Health Organization as it reviews how it has handled the coronavirus pandemic, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates criticized the decision, saying it "is as dangerous as it sounds."

"Halting funding for the World Health Organization during a world health crisis is as dangerous as it sounds," Gates tweeted Wednesday morning. "Their work is slowing the spread of COVID-19 and if that work is stopped no other organization can replace them. The world needs @WHO now more than ever."

Gates, who is worth some $104 billion, according to Forbes, has focused nearly all of his energy on public health responses since he announced in March he was stepping down from the board of directors of Microsoft and Berkshire Hathaway to focus on philanthropy.

BILL GATES SAYS US MISSED CHANCE TO AVOID CORONAVIRUS SHUTDOWN, BUSINESSES SHOULD STAY CLOSED

In February, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation committed up to $100 million to help fight against the virus, $20 million of which went toward groups such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the WHO.

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates - file photo. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)

Earlier this month, Gates told “Fox News Sunday” the current pandemic is “a nightmare scenario,” but said social distancing and a strong national response can keep casualties low. At the time, the U.S. was projecting between 100,000 and 240,000 deaths from COVID-19 before the outbreak is under control.

To date, 26,059 people in the U.S. have died from COVID-19, according to Johns Hopkins University.

In mid-March, Gates said a potential shutdown of a country could last between 6 to 10 weeks if all goes well, but added testing is crucial.

On Tuesday, Trump said the U.S. would halt funding to the WHO while it undergoes a 60-to-90 day investigation into the organization, saying it had put "political correctness over lifesaving measures."

The U.S. is the WHO's largest single donor, and the State Department had previously planned to provide the agency with $893 million in the current two-year funding period. Trump said the U.S. contributes roughly $400 to $500 million per year to WHO, while China offers only about $40 million. The money saved will go to areas that "most need it," Trump asserted.

"We have deep concerns over whether America's generosity has been put to the best use possible," Trump said, accusing the WHO of failing to adequately keep the international community apprised of the threat of the coronavirus.

"The WHO failed in this duty, and must be held accountable," Trump went on. He added that the WHO had ignored "credible information" in December 2019 that the virus could be transmitted from human to human.

CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE

As of Wednesday morning, nearly 2 million coronavirus cases have been diagnosed worldwide, including more than 609,000 of which are in the U.S., the most impacted country on the planet.

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Fox News' Ronn Blitzer and Gregg Re contributed to this story.

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2020-04-15 12:30:04Z
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Bill Gates, in rebuke of Trump, calls WHO funding cut during pandemic ‘as dangerous as it sounds’ - The Washington Post

The United States, the organization’s largest donor, has committed to provide the WHO with $893 million during its current two-year funding period, a State Department spokesperson told The Washington Post.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the family’s giant philanthropy, is the next biggest donor to WHO after the U.S., accounting for close to 10 percent of the United Nations agency’s funding.

As The Post’s Anne Gearan reported, the president said on Tuesday that the halt in U.S. funding would continue for a period of 60 to 90 days “while a review is conducted to assess the World Health Organization’s role and severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus.”

“We have not been treated properly,” Trump said at the Tuesday press briefing. He added, “The WHO pushed China’s misinformation about the virus.”

It remains unclear whether the United States will cut off money to the main international organization, or if Trump is setting conditions for a resumption of U.S. payments at a later date, The Post reported.

The announcement looms as a potentially devastating blow to the agency during the coronavirus pandemic, as the United States’ donations make up nearly 15 percent of all voluntary donations given worldwide.

The criticism from Gates, whose foundation has committed up to $100 million as part of the global response to the pandemic, comes as Trump has attempted to deflect blame for the administration’s failure to respond vigorously and early to the deadly novel coronavirus.

Also defending the WHO was U.N. Secretary General António Guterres, who, while not naming Trump, said that it was “not the time to reduce the resources for the operations of the World Health Organization or any other humanitarian organization in the fight against the virus.”

“Now is the time for unity and for the international community to work together in solidarity to stop this virus and its shattering consequences,” he said.

Others, such as the American Medical Association, called Trump’s announcement to cut WHO funding “a dangerous step in the wrong direction.”

“Cutting funding to the WHO — rather than focusing on solutions — is a dangerous move at a precarious moment for the world,” the organization said in a statement. “The AMA is deeply concerned by this decision and its wide-ranging ramifications, and we strongly urge the President to reconsider.”

While some of Trump’s conservative allies are now focusing on the WHO as complicit in a Chinese coverup of the outbreak, others have urged the president to hold off on moving forward on suspending funding.

“If the president wants to genuinely hold the WHO accountable, counter Chinese efforts to shift blame for COVID-19, and reform the WHO to better respond to the next pandemic, he should not cut funding — at least not yet,” wrote Brett D. Schaefer, an expert at the conservative Heritage Foundation and member of the U.N.'s Committee on Contributions.

It isn’t the first time that Gates has questioned the country’s response to the pandemic. In a TED interview last month, Gates, while not mentioning Trump by name, suggested that the push to relax social distancing to reopen the country was reckless.

“There really is no middle ground, and it’s very tough to say to people: ‘Hey, keep going to restaurants, go buy new houses, ignore that pile of bodies over in the corner. We want you to keep spending because there’s maybe a politician who thinks GDP growth is all that counts,’” Gates said. “It’s very irresponsible for somebody to suggest that we can have the best of both worlds.”

In a March 31 op-ed for The Post, Gates emphasized that while the U.S. lost valuable time in getting out ahead of its response, there was still a path forward for recovery through decisions made by “science, data and the experience of medical professionals.”

“There’s no question the United States missed the opportunity to get ahead of the novel coronavirus. But the window for making important decisions hasn’t closed,” Gates wrote. “The choices we and our leaders make now will have an enormous impact on how soon case numbers start to go down, how long the economy remains shut down and how many Americans will have to bury a loved one because of covid-19.”

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2020-04-15 12:03:36Z
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