WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s administration has announced a plan to spend $100 million to help states with their preparations for the upcoming flu season.
The White House announced the plan on Tuesday, but did not elaborate on how much of the money would go to states, or the number of people who would be eligible.
States have already been preparing for the worst-case scenario that comes with the flu season: massive shortages of food and water, and potentially an outbreak of the coronavirus that can cause pneumonia, which can lead to death.
But Trump and other top officials have been pushing to make preparations for pandemic events more extensive.
“There are a number of things that the administration has been thinking about and is doing, which is that we need to make sure that we’re prepared, and we need state and local governments to be prepared,” said Mike Adams, director of the Center for Emergency Management and Communications at the American Enterprise Institute.
Trump has repeatedly stressed the need to get federal assistance to states to combat the coronabirus outbreak, which has killed more than 10,000 people in the United States and more than 6,000 in the U.K. But his administration has said it’s not yet determined whether federal aid will be needed.
“The White Houses National Response Plan does not address state and city or community preparedness for a pandemic outbreak, nor does it provide a funding level,” said a statement from the White House.
“The administration is working to build on this effort by leveraging federal resources, including funding from the Office of Management and Budget, through a grant program.”
