Peter Navarro, White House trade advisor, warned officials of President Donald Trump’s government in late January about the potential impact of the coronavirus.
Navarro had warned the government that millions of Americans were at risk of illness or death. The virus could also lead to trillions of dollars in economic losses. That writes The New York Times based on a memo from Navarro.
The U.S. newspaper talks about the most immediate warning known to circulate among top officials at a crucial time.
“The lack of immunity protection or an existing drug or vaccine would render Americans defenceless in the event of a full-blown coronavirus outbreak on American soil,” said Navarro.
“This lack of protection increases the risk of the coronavirus developing into a full-fledged pandemic, endangering the lives of millions of Americans.”
The memo is dated January 29, when Trump just mitigated the risks of the virus to the United States. Later, the president said no one could have predicted such a devastating outcome.
Navarro was recently appointed by Trump to coordinate the implementation of a war law that would allow companies to produce, for example, more respirators.