Former US surgeon general on coronavirus: ‘We were a bit late to recognize how bad this was’

Former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said that the country was “a bit late to recognize how bad this was,” describing the federal government’s response to the coronavirus.

“We have been late, also, when it comes to ramping up testing, which we desperately need,” Murthy, who served under the Obama administration said, according to Yahoo Finance.

“What we really need both with testing and when it comes to the protective equipment is we do need the federal government to be more aggressive in stepping in and taking over the supply, the production, as well as the distribution piece of this,” he continued.

His statement comes as New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) Friday called for more aid from the federal government to fund increased testing.

However, President Trump has signaled he thinks the states are responsible for testing their own public. 

“The States have to step up their TESTING!” Trump tweeted Friday while also knocking Cuomo over Twitter for requesting help with “testing that you should be doing.”

The U.S. has grappled with supply stocks of personal protective equipment and testing kit shortages, with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) calling on the administration to utilize the Defense Production Act (DPA) for testing supplies.

“I have been urging the administration to move more effectively, to do things like use the Defense Production Act,” Cruz said on Friday, Yahoo Finance reported. 

Trump signed an executive order on March 18, invoking the DPA to enforce private businesses such as 3M to prioritize government contracts and boost essential supply production.

Murthy called for further action, saying, “We do need a wartime production board like we saw with World War II to ensure that we’re coordinating all levers within this country.”

The former surgeon general said the nation had made progress in handling the virus over the last month but added that “it’s unfortunately nowhere near where it needs to be if we want to feel safe to relax social distancing restrictions.”