Our COVID-19 response

This is a response to a recent letter in which Tom Teune claims that there have been no federal guidelines concerning the COVID-19 pandemic. Not sure what planet he is on? There have been numerous briefings from the federal team consisting of the finest doctors from the infectious disease field. He cites no action by the president. Maybe he missed the fact that the president closed the border to China one week after the first case was detected in the U.S. and shortly thereafter closed the border to European countries. He did that despite condemnation from the media and Joe Biden calling him a racist and xenophobic.

The writer also might have missed Nancy Pelosi's grandstanding spectacle in March where she encouraged large celebrations in the San Francisco Chinese community. Imagine the story if they were in charge.

As far as school openings, he may have missed the CDC recommendations on that issue. Federal guidance is only a recommendation and does not replace state and local decision-making. President Trump has called for the full but guarded opening of schools this fall. Failure to do this will cause immeasurable and irreversible damage to the education of our children as well as parents who have been told to "figure it out."

So this leads us to the claim that the president was totally unprepared for this pandemic. Exactly which nation was totally prepared ... Italy, France, UK, China? Hundreds of thousands have died around the globe. Each state has the safety of their citizens as their primary responsibility.

Bill Koller

Des Plaines