Day 1: Biden appointed a new COVID-19 response team.
Biden made Jeffrey Zients, who served as the director of the National Economic Council under the Obama administration, his COVID-19 response coordinator.
Zients is now in charge of managing the nation's production and distribution of vaccines, ensuring a consistent supply of medical equipment, and determining future travel restrictions, among other tasks. He does not have a medical or scientific background, but Obama-era officials considered Zients an effective problem-solver.
"What has been stunningly lacking over the past year is an organized response," Tom Frieden, former head of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told the Financial Times on Wednesday. "You need someone to be the conductor of the orchestra. They don't need to know how to play every instrument, you just need to know what to do to get the best out of them."
Zients will also work closely with David Kessler, former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, who will take over Moncef Slaoui's role as head of US vaccine rollout.
Biden also plans to restore an Obama-era National Security Council position, Directorate for Global Health Security and Biodefense, which was dissolved during the Trump administration. In a Tuesday press briefing, Zients said the position would "play a critical role in stopping this pandemic and preventing future biological catastrophes."
The role will be filled by Elizabeth Cameron, a former White House national security official.
Via PakApNews