WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Rick Scott sent a letter to President Trump requesting that the administration remain as open and transparent as possible in the United States’ efforts to combat the Coronavirus.

See the Senator’s letter HERE or below.

February 5, 2020

The Honorable Donald J. Trump

President

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW

Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear Mr. President:

First, I want to thank your administration for taking proactive steps to combat the threat of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus, including declaring a public health emergency in the United States after I urged this action, and the State Department’s travel advisory warning for Americans not to travel to China.

I do not trust Communist China to coordinate in a transparent and efficient manner when it comes to combatting the threat of the virus, so we must continue to take every step possible to prevent the spread in the United States. Despite unwarranted delay, the World Health Organization has finally declared the Coronavirus to be a global health emergency, which, in addition to your public health declaration, will help make every resource available to contain the disease and keep Americans healthy.

Additional action must be taken considering the CDC’s confirmation of the spread of the Coronavirus between two people in the United States, representing the first instance of person-to-person spread with this new virus in the United States. In 2016, when I was Governor of Florida, we took swift action to get out in front of the Zika virus at its emergence internationally, recognizing Florida’s place as a global destination and the need to be prepared and informed.

One of the most effective strategies utilized was being extremely transparent with new and accurate information. We put out daily updates to keep Floridians safe and up-to-date information, and thanks to a coordinated local, state and federal response to the Zika virus, Miami-Dade was the first jurisdiction in the world to disrupt the cycle of local transmission. I encourage you to use the lessons we learned from Florida’s handling of the Zika virus by distributing as much information about the virus as possible to keep Americans and local officials informed. This includes making sure that street level mapping is available to the public to view the specific location of confirmed cases.

The United States cannot risk an outbreak of Coronavirus, and I encourage your administration to remain as open and transparent as possible. We cannot put our citizens at risk, and we must do everything we can to contain any cases.

Sincerely,

Rick Scott

United States Senator

###