Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Big day at White House. Major discussions at Deputies on how to handle the 200 US Citizens (diplomats and families and others) who are being airevaculted form Wuhan. They are on a plane from China to Alaska to California. Concern about whethernor not to quarantine them for 14 days when we did not and do not quarantine Chinese who pass screening on entry. Marty Cetron had argued that the American were very recently in the “hot zone” whereas the chines who are coming in now are not really coming from Wuhan since Wuhan has been shut down by the Chinese. Also, political concern of what it looks like to quarantine or “imprision” US citizen versus what happens if we let them in and they start infecting people. Finally decide to do a sft verion of bringin them in to a military airbase – the March Air reserve Base in Riverside County. CA, and consider them all not a low risk. They are either medium or high risk based on their exposure. They all will be tested (nasal swab PCR) and detained at the base for up to 72 hours until the tests come back and then released. The “high” risk people majr get more intense investigation Discussed for hours in the Situation Room. The meeting was chaired by Mick Mulvaney and most Deputies were present together with Matt Pottinger, Kellyanne Conway, Ken Cucinelli, Dr. Navarro, Biegun, Blair, Eisenberg, Szabat, Lidell, Foret (CBP)John Wilson, John Mark (?). Chinese scientists are saying that the epidemic is much worse than is being reported. Dr. Yuan say that 50% of the infections are asymptomatic. However, this is confusing people since he does not say what percent of these are spreading while asymptomatic. A lot of confusion and misinformation while the outbreak accelerates. Azar wanted the POTUS to be briefed by me in the Oval office after the Sit Room, but a fluke prevented this. Brian Harrison called me into a side room for a few questions and Azar was looking for me and could not find me and so he and Redfield went to the Oval without me. Innocent screwup. Press conference with Azar – multiple media reporting with several clips of me; Lou Dobbs FOX; Marc Siegal FOX; CBS This Morning;