"This is just what has been done so far and not all of it has been completed yet. You can check out A few other executive orders as well as those to come in the future." -- Joaquin Montes de Oca, 8th Grade
In between the chaos and cheap shots that defined the 2020 presidential debates, one of Biden’s main talking points was the Trump administration’s seeming lack of a plan to address the Coronavirus pandemic. Several times during the debates, Biden turned to the cameras, speaking directly to the people at home, whether they voted for him or not, and told them that their current president had no plan to alleviate the hardships that they had been and would continue to face. A month after Biden’s inauguration, let's take a look at what he has done for Coronavirus relief.
Biden's Coronavirus plan outlines his basic goals to combat the current global pandemic. Those include widespread free or affordable treatment, supplies and testing as well as a vaccine available to the public and paid leave for those infected. He also mentions the need to prepare for the next time something like this happens. Ramping up research, budgets and whatnot.
The now 11 executive orders that Joe Biden has passed so far have detailed the following:
EO (executive order) 13991
A mask mandate as well as enforced social distancing.
This EO describes mask wearing and social distancing as the most effective current way to slow the spread. As for enforcing this, he states: “The heads of executive departments and agencies (agencies) shall immediately take action, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, to require compliance with CDC guidelines with respect to wearing masks, maintaining physical distance, and other public health measures by: on-duty or on-site Federal employees; on-site Federal contractors; and all persons in Federal buildings or on Federal lands.”
EO 13994
Using data to prepare for future health crises.
Biden outlines a pandemic response team even going as far as mentioning different jobs and roles within the team.
“The COVID-19 Response Coordinator shall, as necessary, convene appropriate representatives from relevant agencies to coordinate the agencies' collection, provision, and analysis of data, including key equity indicators, regarding the COVID-19 response, as well as their sharing of such data with State, local, Tribal, and territorial authorities.”
EO 13995
“Equitable” pandemic response.
In this executive order, Biden acknowledges the unequal effects of the Coronavirus pandemic on Americans, people of color, and the low income populations being exposed and infected at a much higher rate. Biden initiates a Health Equity Task Force assigned to handle these inequalities for as long as the pandemic lasts.
EO 13996
Establishing a COVID-19 testing board
Here, Biden creates a committee tasked with testing the public and keeping track of different ways that certain demographics might have less access to said testing as well as advising Biden in his pandemic response efforts and identifying the best ways to execute testing on a large scale. He also mentions prioritizing healthcare, frontline and essential workers, as well as various underserved communities across the country.
EO 13997
Giving more people access to treatment and resources
This executive order focuses on making COVID-19 treatment and healthcare in general more accessible and affordable to low income americans.
EO 13998
Covid-safe travel
This is essentially a mask and social distancing mandate for planes, trains, boats, etc.
EO 13999
Worker safety protocols
This requires the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to change its current protocols for COVID-19 related safety measures.
EO 14000
Reopening schools
Since the start of the pandemic, one of the main focuses and concerns of the American people was how and when schools could be reopened. People are definitely uncertain about how they would feel about opening up and tensions have been rising between city governments and their school districts, San Francisco is going as far as to sue their own school district over the matter.
Biden has already kicked the 14,000th executive order into gear. This deploys the Secretaries of Education and the Department of Health and Human services, as well as the Director of Educational Sciences. Their goal is to use the information that we have so far about how Coronavirus could be managed in a school setting to see how and when we could realistically and safely get kids back into school.
EO 14002
Economic Covid relief
EO 14002 focuses specifically on targeting communities of color with services that the government can provide to lessen the unequal effects that the pandemic has on them, in a financial sense and overall.
This is just what has been done so far and not all of it has been completed yet. You can check out a few other executive orders as well as those to come in the future.
Biden's Coronavirus plan outlines his basic goals to combat the current global pandemic. Those include widespread free or affordable treatment, supplies and testing as well as a vaccine available to the public and paid leave for those infected. He also mentions the need to prepare for the next time something like this happens. Ramping up research, budgets and whatnot.
The now 11 executive orders that Joe Biden has passed so far have detailed the following:
EO (executive order) 13991
A mask mandate as well as enforced social distancing.
This EO describes mask wearing and social distancing as the most effective current way to slow the spread. As for enforcing this, he states: “The heads of executive departments and agencies (agencies) shall immediately take action, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, to require compliance with CDC guidelines with respect to wearing masks, maintaining physical distance, and other public health measures by: on-duty or on-site Federal employees; on-site Federal contractors; and all persons in Federal buildings or on Federal lands.”
EO 13994
Using data to prepare for future health crises.
Biden outlines a pandemic response team even going as far as mentioning different jobs and roles within the team.
“The COVID-19 Response Coordinator shall, as necessary, convene appropriate representatives from relevant agencies to coordinate the agencies' collection, provision, and analysis of data, including key equity indicators, regarding the COVID-19 response, as well as their sharing of such data with State, local, Tribal, and territorial authorities.”
EO 13995
“Equitable” pandemic response.
In this executive order, Biden acknowledges the unequal effects of the Coronavirus pandemic on Americans, people of color, and the low income populations being exposed and infected at a much higher rate. Biden initiates a Health Equity Task Force assigned to handle these inequalities for as long as the pandemic lasts.
EO 13996
Establishing a COVID-19 testing board
Here, Biden creates a committee tasked with testing the public and keeping track of different ways that certain demographics might have less access to said testing as well as advising Biden in his pandemic response efforts and identifying the best ways to execute testing on a large scale. He also mentions prioritizing healthcare, frontline and essential workers, as well as various underserved communities across the country.
EO 13997
Giving more people access to treatment and resources
This executive order focuses on making COVID-19 treatment and healthcare in general more accessible and affordable to low income americans.
EO 13998
Covid-safe travel
This is essentially a mask and social distancing mandate for planes, trains, boats, etc.
EO 13999
Worker safety protocols
This requires the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to change its current protocols for COVID-19 related safety measures.
EO 14000
Reopening schools
Since the start of the pandemic, one of the main focuses and concerns of the American people was how and when schools could be reopened. People are definitely uncertain about how they would feel about opening up and tensions have been rising between city governments and their school districts, San Francisco is going as far as to sue their own school district over the matter.
Biden has already kicked the 14,000th executive order into gear. This deploys the Secretaries of Education and the Department of Health and Human services, as well as the Director of Educational Sciences. Their goal is to use the information that we have so far about how Coronavirus could be managed in a school setting to see how and when we could realistically and safely get kids back into school.
EO 14002
Economic Covid relief
EO 14002 focuses specifically on targeting communities of color with services that the government can provide to lessen the unequal effects that the pandemic has on them, in a financial sense and overall.
This is just what has been done so far and not all of it has been completed yet. You can check out a few other executive orders as well as those to come in the future.
