NOTE: This event was recorded on July 14, 2020

The ongoing novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has taken the lives of more than 100,000 Americans and damaged the Nation’s economy. As the country reopens, the disease threatens the public, now and into the foreseeable future. Federal support for state, local, tribal and territorial preparedness and biosurveillance will be crucial to addressing further spread of COVID-19. In this meeting, the Commission addressed national policy and resource needs for response to and recovery from this crisis.

On July 21, 2020, the Commission premiered  COVID Complexities: Converging Threats, Fractured Resources,  a virtual meeting to help us better understand the potential for COVID-19’s reemergence, the country’s efforts to track the spread of the disease, and national readiness to address future biological threats.

U.S. Representative Jason Crow (D-CO), a Member of the House Armed Services Committee, spoke before the Commission at this meeting. Representative Crow provided the congressional perspective on the response to COVID-19 and the role of the Legislative Branch in addressing future pandemic threats. A former Army Ranger and lawyer, he has championed biodefense measures during his time in Congress, most recently in this year’s National Defense Authorization Act.

Speakers

• Jared Moskowitz – Director, Florida Division of Emergency Management
• Alexis Madrigal – Co-Founder, The COVID Tracking Project, and Staff Writer, The Atlantic
• David Mitchell – President, International Association of Emergency Medical Services Chiefs

Speakers discussed the potential for compoundment of the biological threat, disease-tracking needs, hospital preparedness, and emergency management challenges.

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