Federal government must accept its duty

A national emergency in the United States demands federal action and coordination. The coronavirus pandemic is the very definition of such perilous circumstances.

Quickly establishing new medical facilities and providing the equipment necessary for them to work in a crisis head the list of tasks the federal government has to assume, and President Donald Trump must stop shirking crucial tasks and embrace his administration’s responsibility to step in.

Speaking at a news conference Monday, Trump outlined new guidelines for the nation. They’re not mandatory, but they are sensible and the federal imprimatur ought to give them some heft. But Trump’s call for Americans to school from home, avoid gatherings of more than 10 people, postpone discretionary travel and avoid bars, restaurants and public food courts, while appropriate, is no substitute for federal action where it is needed the most and Trump is offering it the least.

In a conference call, Trump told a group of governors, “Respirators, ventilators, all of the equipment — try getting it yourselves. We will be backing you, but try getting it yourselves.”

That’s a terrible, potentially deadly idea. The national supply of such hospital equipment is going to be constrained, and Trump can’t let states turn into the equivalent of panicked shoppers, hoarding bread and toilet paper others might need more. Right now, New York and Washington state lead the nation in infections and will need the equipment most and soonest, while low-infection states like West Virginia might not need the equipment for months. Federal coordination must send the equipment where it’s needed, when it’s needed. And Trump’s announcement that the federal government is “ordering a tremendous number of respirators, ventilators and masks” suggests the states are in line behind the federal government, fighting for the supplies Trump told them to get.

This wave of illness is coming at the height of a flu season that infected at least 36 million Americans, and resources are spread thin. New York, with just 53,000 hospital beds and 3,000 intensive care beds, is not ready for a pandemic. Thus far, 17% of the 950 people diagnosed in New York have been hospitalized, a terrifying percentage as the disease spreads. Cuomo has wisely asked Trump to deploy the Army Corps of Engineers to start building temporary health care capacity in the state. Military bases, college dormitories and other available buildings need to be speedily repurposed, and the Army Corps brings an expertise and resources no state agencies can match. Long Island, in particular, has both the aged residents who may need such facilities and the dorms and other structures the situation requires, but Trump has not responded to the request.

Federal recommendations on behavior during this crisis are fine, and speeches meant to inspire confidence have their place. But it’s the responsibility of the U.S. government to manage the nation’s resources and preparation in a crisis, and the time has come for Trump to fulfill that responsibility to New York and to the nation.

— The editorial board