Most of President-elect Joe Biden’s coronavirus advisory board have yet to be briefed on the incoming administration’s plan to combat COVID-19 as the Democrat prepares to enter office next week, Politico reports.
Although Biden announced the 16 members of his advisory board in November, most of them will not receive a briefing on his plan for the government until tomorrow afternoon. Members of the board include New Yorker writer and surgeon Atul Gawande, leading expert on infectious disease Michael Osterholm, and former top federal health official Rick Bright.
The proposal was finalized by the three co-chairs on the board: surgeon general nominee Vivek Murthy, White House COVID-19 Equity Task Force head Marcella Nunez-Smith, and former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner David Kessler.
Two sources of Politico’s add that the advisers were surprised to not receive an earlier briefing, having played a large part in creating Biden’s strategy and deciding which policies to include. The advisers were not given a specific reason, though some reportedly assume that the delay was to prevent leaks.
Politico notes that despite their involvement, most of the advisory board won’t know the details of Biden’s strategy until just a few hours before the president-elect delivers a speech outlining the proposal.
The Biden transition team declined to comment to Politico.
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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