On August 27, 2020, the fourth night of the Republican National Convention (RNC), President Donald Trump entertained over 1,000 people (opens in new tab) on the White House lawn to listen to his (and Ivanka Trump's (opens in new tab)) formal acceptance speech for the 2020 Republican presidential nomination ( (opens in new tab)) listened. Masks were not necessary. Social distancing was not enforced. The White House Coronavirus Task Force was reportedly not consulted (opens in new tab) about the convention plans. This display was another example of the president's disregard for science (despite his claim (open in new tab) that he is "focused on science, facts, and data") and his lack of an effective plan to end the pandemic. [Over the past six months, President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence (the latter of whom heads the Coronavirus Task Force) have left the work to control COVID-19 to governors and mayors, criticizing Democratic-led states for the number of people infected and repeatedly calling them "unprepared." (open in new tab) President Trump has frequently stated that "we are in full control (open in new tab)" of the virus. Yet today, more than 200,000 people have died and 6 million cases have occurred in the U.S. (opens in new tab). The unmasked crowd at the White House could have been COVID-19 super-diffusers.

Since Joe Biden and Kamala Harris officially accepted the Democratic nominations for President and Vice President, respectively, the candidates have been clear about how they will address COVID-19 (opens in new tab) once elected. In August, Senator Harris tweeted three key components of Biden's coronavirus plan to be implemented on day one, including deployment of rapid tests with immediate results, production of medical supplies and PPE, and a nationwide mask requirement. (The CDC director said that the six-week national mask mandate (opens in new tab) could significantly reduce the spread of COVID-19.) To safely reopen the entire country (opens in new tab) and jumpstart the economy, the virus must first be defeated.

Biden also explained this in his Democratic National Convention (DNC) speech (opens in new tab):

"If I become president on day one, I will implement the national strategy I have been laying out since March. We will develop and deploy rapid tests with immediate results. We will make the medical supplies and protective equipment that our country needs. And manufacture them here in the United States. Then we will not be at the mercy of China and other foreign countries to protect our people. We will ensure that our schools have the resources they need to stay open, safe and effective. We will put politics aside, unmuzzle the experts, and ensure that the public gets the information it needs and deserves. The honest, unvarnished truth. They can deal with it. We owe it to the public to wear masks, not as a burden, but to protect each other. It is a patriotic duty."

Meanwhile, President Trump praised Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for lifting COVID-19 restrictions (opens in new tab) in all states in late September, despite a rise in cases (opens in new tab), and his initial "Open America" (opens in new tab) Open new tab) plan has not been improved. There have also been contradictory reports (open in new tab) from the President himself regarding the timing and distribution strategy (open in new tab) for vaccinations (open in new tab); on September 28, President Trump announced plans to deploy rapid testing (open in new tab) for 150 million people in the coming weeks, but who will be tested (open in new tab) will likely be at the discretion of state governors. While logistics are worked out, President Trump continues to hold crowded campaign rallies (open in new tab) without the need for social distancing or masking.

Recently, Biden's tweet from October 2019 (five months before COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic) reemerged. It warned that our country was not prepared for a pandemic. We are not prepared for a pandemic." President Trump has rolled back the progress President Obama and I made to strengthen global health security. We need leadership that builds public trust, focuses on the real threats, and mobilizes the world to stop an outbreak before it reaches our shores."

Biden and Harris' full 7-point COVID-19 plan can be read here (opens in new tab).