States Are Outrunning the Feds in Responding to Coronavirus
As the White House floundered, governors took drastic measures to curb a pandemic.
Members of the New York National Guard help to organize and distribute food to families on free or reduced school lunch programs in New Rochelle, N.Y., on March 12.
Photographer: Seth Wenig/AP PhotoOn March 9, as President Donald Trump was downplaying the health risks posed by the coronavirus and comparing it to the flu in an effort to keep stocks from tumbling, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine was declaring a state of emergency—even though the state had only three confirmed cases at that point—warning Ohioans that more stringent safeguards were on the way.
The same day in California, Governor Gavin Newsom was overseeing a plan with Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf to disembark, treat, and quarantine passengers from the virus-stricken Grand Princess cruise ship. And in Washington, the state with the highest number of Covid-19 deaths, Governor Jay Inslee was weighing mandatory limits on public gatherings, after successfully petitioning the legislature for $100 million in emergency funds.