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Report: Pentagon Knew Of Possible Coronavirus Threat For Years
April 5, 20204:58 PM ET
Heard on All Things Considered
JASON SLOTKIN

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The Pentagon was aware of the likelihood of a pandemic brought on by a novel coronavirus years ago, according to a 2017 internal document reported by The Nation.
AFP/AFP via Getty Images
The Pentagon was aware of the likelihood of a pandemic brought on by a novel coronavirus years ago, predicting with startling accuracy shortages of masks, hospital beds and ventilators that could occur in an outbreak, according to a 2017 internal document reported by The Nation.

The 103-page document — which the magazine describes as an update to an earlier Defense Department pandemic influenza response plan — cites a novel respiratory illness as the "most likely and significant threat" in a pandemic situation.

The documents also warns that shortages of masks and ventilators would have a "significant impact on the availability of the global workforce."

"The intelligence community and the military were well aware of what could, and unfortunately, did happen" said Nation reporter Ken Klippenstein in an interview with NPR’s All Things Considered.

Klippenstein reports that he obtained the document from a Pentagon official who requested anonymity. Klippenstein says the Pentagon has not responded to his requests for comment on the story.

Klippenstein told All Things Considered that within intelligence circles, a coronavirus has been viewed as a likely threat going back at least five years. And while President Trump has said the current COVID-19 pandemic "came out of nowhere," Klippenstein says it is "inconceivable that the White House did not receive this," referencing information contained in the 2017 Pentagon report.

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Klippenstein adds," The threat of a highly transmissible pathogenic virus that targets the respiratory system, this was appreciated for at least the last 10 years."

The "USNORTHCOM Branch Plan 3560: Pandemic Influenza and Infectious Disease Response," as the document is titled, mentions past coronavirus outbreaks, including the MERS outbreak. The document notes that coronvavirus infections are also quite common worldwide.

Though unclassified, the Pentagon plan is an internal document intended to foresee the causes of and potentials hurdles to arise in a pandemic situation. It outlines scenarios that may arise during a global outbreak and options for how the military might respond. Within the document are also references to classified materials that could provide additional support to its conclusions.

The report’s conclusions have foreshadowed many of the concerns currently being voiced by both elected officials and medical professionals over hospitals beds and medical equipment.

One section reads: "even the most industrialized countries will have insufficient hospital beds, specialized equipment such as mechanical ventilators, and pharmaceuticals readily available to adequately treat their populations during clinically severe pandemic."

This story was produced and edited for broadcast by Janaya Williams, Gemma Watters and Tinbete Ermyas.

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https://ecf.gud.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/HistDocQry.pl?925157799541739-L_1_0-1

government lockdown 26.20 saiah 26:20 says Go home, my people and lock your doors ! Hide yourself for a little while until the Lords’s anger has passed isn’t that amazing ?
And further to this….
The Lord commanded a lockdown during passover in Egypt. when the Angel of death passed over..the Israelites where protected by the blood o⅘f the lamb – Thursday the 16th of April is when passover ends .As you all know that’s when our lockdown is lifted . .21 days is the 16th Gods timing’s incredible Wow and we are all protected guys…so we might think it’s not hard to stay home ..but ..its from God.

NEWS
JIC release 37: Profiles of Earlier Confirmed Cases; GDOE Expands Grab-N-Go Program; DPHSS Updates
Monday, March 30th 2020, 10:48 AM ChST
By KUAM News

Joint Information Center – JIC Release No. 37
March 30, 2020, 10:40 a.m. (ChST)

Profiles of Earlier Confirmed Cases; GDOE Expands Grab-N-Go Program;

DPHSS Updates

The Guam Department of Public

Health and Social Services (DPHSS) tested 23 individuals for COVID-19 on Sunday, March 29, 2020 with conclusive results. One (1) tested positive through DPHSS and 22 tested negative for SARS-CoV-2. The DPHSS overall count also includes two positive cases that were tested by the Naval Health Research Center (NHRC) in San Diego. Additional results will be provided later this evening once today’s test results are finalized.

Preliminary Profiles of Earlier Confirmed Cases

Most of Guam COVID-19 known positive cases have epidemiological links to other confirmed cases. Profiles of the previous 55 confirmed cases, which includes reports of two positive confirmed cases that DPHSS received from the U.S. Naval Hospital that was tested through the Department of Defense and sent off island:

STATUS

GENDER

RESIDENTIAL LOCATION

TRAVEL HISTORY

AGE GROUP

30 are stable

17 hospitalized

7 recovered

1 deceased

26 male

29 female

18 from the north

25 from central

10 from the south

2 Homeless

7- Philippines

2 – U.S. Mainland

1 – Hawaii

1 – Japan

1 is in their 90s

3 are in their 80s

6 are in their 70s

15 are in their 60s

10 are in their 50s

11 are in their 40s

5 are in their 30s

4 are in their 20s

GDOE Expands Grab-N-Go School Meal Program

Starting Tuesday, March 31, 2020, the Guam Department of Education (GDOE) will expand the Grab-N-Go School Meal Program to include a new distribution site at Maria Ulloa Elementary School. Additionally, effective Tuesday, the program will begin to offer both breakfast and lunch every weekday (except holidays), and will also distribute meals during spring break from April 6-10, 2020. The 12 school distribution sites are listed below:

NORTH

CENTRAL

SOUTH

Astumbo Elementary School

F.B. Leon Guerrero Middle School

Maria Ulloa Elementary School

Wettengel Elementary School

Agana Heights Elementary School

B.P. Carbullido Elementary School

George Washington High School

John F. Kennedy High School

Jose Rios Middle School

Inarajan Elementary School

M.U. Lujan Elementary School

Southern High School

The Grab-N-Go School Meals Program was made possible through a waiver approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The program provides no cost meals to all children ages 18 and under, to include children from both public and private schools. The program is available Monday through Friday (except holidays) from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. To date, the GDOE has distributed roughly 50,000 meals to students and families.

USDA Warns of Scams Targeting SNAP Recipients

The Division of Public Welfare, Bureau of Economic Security of the Department of Public Health and Social Services advises participants of its Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that a fraud alert has been issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

USDA warns SNAP recipients to be on the lookout for potential scammers using the COVID-19 situation to steal personal information. USDA is issuing this warning after receiving reports of several possible SNAP fraud attempts. Examples of confidential information include social security number, bank information, or a participant’s SNAP EBT card or PIN number. In one potential scam, a website asked SNAP recipients to enter their personal and bank account information to qualify for COVID-related monetary assistance. If SNAP participants are unsure if a request for information is legitimate, USDA advises they contact their local SNAP office. To stay on top of potential scams, please visit USDA’s SNAP scam alert webpage at https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/scam-alerts.

If you believe you are the victim of identity theft, contact your local police department regarding procedures for filing a report. You may also file a consumer complaint online with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at https://www.ftc.gov. FTC is the federal agency responsible for protecting consumers from identity theft scams. For any questions or concerns regarding this alert, please call the Investigation and Recovery Office (IRO) under the Bureau of Management Support (BMS) within the Division of Public Welfare at 735-7344.

COVID-19 Enforcement of Executive Order 2020-03 through 2020-07
DPHSS reminds island businesses, which are deemed “non-essential” pursuant to Executive Orders 2020-05 and 2020-06, that they are prohibited from operating until Monday, April 13, 2020. Essential businesses may continue to operate; however, they are to comply with the following orders

Retail operations, including “eating and drinking establishments” that prepare and serve food but only for delivery or carry out, must enforce social distancing measures by requiring the customers or patrons be separated by at least six (6) feet from other customers or patrons within the retail area. In order to ensure compliance with social distancing measures, businesses should control the number of individuals who enter their facility at any given time by posting personnel for the purpose of guiding customers/patrons accordingly.

Provide access to both employees and customers/patrons to hand-washing facilities with soap and water.

Post a sign at a conspicuous place at all public entrances that clearly notifies all that any person experiencing respiratory illness, including fever or cough, is prohibited from entering.

DPHSS, together with the Department of Revenue and Taxation, and with assistance of the Guam Police Department, continue to enforce the provisions of the Executive Orders. For questions, or to report potential violations, please contact the Division of Environmental Health at 300-9579, Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For inquiries on COVID-19, local numbers can dial 311 or contact the Joint Information Center at (671) 478-0208/09/10.

All content © copyright KUAM.
EEO Report|FCC Public Files
All Rights Reserved. For more information on this site, please read our Privacy Policy, Terms of Service, and Ad Choices.gu

I just got this from a friend:
What a coincidence !!!!
How great is our God … government arranged lockdown from the 26 March 2020 and the Bible verse Isaiah 26:20 says Go home, my people and lock your doors ! Hide yourself for a little while until the Lords’s anger has passed isn’t that amazing ?
And further to this….
The Lord commanded a lockdown during passover in Egypt. when the Angel of death passed over..the Israelites where protected by the blood of the lamb – Thursday the 16th of April is when passover ends .As you all know that’s when our lockdown is lifted . .21 days is the 16th Gods timing’s incredible Wow and we are all protected guys…so we might think it’s not hard to stay home ..but ..its from God.

On Sun, Mar 29, 2020, 6:57 PM Ray Hackett <3659745> wrote:

Speaker Tina Muña Barnes
477-2520
speaker@GuamLegislature.org

Vice Speaker Telena Nelson
989-7696
senatortcnelson@GuamLegislature.org

Senator Amanda Shelton
969-2574
officeofsenatorshelton@GuamLegislature.org

Senator Kelly Marsh Taitano
989-5681
office.senatorkelly@GuamLegislature.org

Senator Regine Biscoe Lee
472-3455
senatorbiscoelee@GuamLegislature.org

Senator Joe S. San Agustin
989-5445
senatorjoessanagustin

Senator Therese Terlaje
472-3586
senatorterlajeguam

Senator Clynton Ridgell
475-4983
sen.cridgell

Senator Jose Terlaje
989-5301
senatorpedo

Senator Sabina Perez
989-2968
office

Senator Wil Castro
969-1225
wilcastro671

Senator Louise Muna
969-9852
senatorlouise

Senator Telo Taitague
989-8356
senatortelot

Senator James Moylan
922-6673
senatormoylan@GuamLegislature.org

Senator Mary Camacho Torres
475-6279
senatormary@GuamLegislature.org

MEMBER ROLL CALL!
It’s working

Monday, March 30, 2020 7:33:06 AM

Search News

2 test positive in CNMI
By Justine Nauta | Posted on Mar 30 2020
Tag: CHCC, CNMI
Share
The novel coronavirus has now reached Saipan, with Esther Muña, the Commonwealth Health Care Corp. chief executive officer, announcing in an emergency press briefing last Saturday evening that the two specimen that were sent to the Guam Public Health Laboratory last March 27 were confirmed positive for COVID-19 on March 28.

“The two confirmed positive cases involve a 42-year-old male and a 49-year-old female,” said Dr. John Tudela, Medical Affairs director of the Commonwealth Health Center.

Both cases are isolated in quarantine at Kanoa Resort in Susupe after they presented symptoms and got tested at CHC last March 26, Tudela said.

CHC has already started contact tracing for the two patients’ most immediate contacts, which include family members, friends, and members of a faith-based organization, where the two had gone.

One individual recently returned from Guam on March 12 and the other individual traveled to Tinian on March 13 and returned to Saipan on March 14. The two individuals stated that they showed symptoms around March 17 and sought care at CHC on March 25 and 26.

Both individuals met the criteria of a “person under investigation” as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Protection. Their specimens were collected on March 27 and submitted to Guam on the same day.

“Now that we have two [confirmed] positive COVID-19 cases, we are strongly advising all residents to be responsible in practicing good [hand] hygiene, social distancing, and protect our most vulnerable population, including our man’amkos and patients with chronic medical conditions,” said Warren Villagomez, COVID-19 Task Force director.

“Since January, we have done everything to be proactive as a government and implement strict social distancing procedures to keep you, your families, and our man’amko, and our loved ones with pre-existing illnesses safe,” said Gov. Ralph DLG Torres, who also spoke at the press briefing, which was broadcasted live via the Office of the Governor’s social media page.

Andy (not his real name), 60, San Antonio, is not surprised. He already expected positive cases to be here. “If Guam already has more than 20-plus positive cases, Saipan would definitely have one soon but I didn’t expect it to be so fast. I just hope people would take this seriously now, try and stay home and stay clean”, he said.

A Koblerville resident had the same thought, saying people should stop those parties at the beach and stay at home as much as possible to prevent the spread of the virus.

Precautionary measures

In a later interview, Tudela said that they have implemented precautionary measures for employees, volunteers, hospital staff, and those in quarantine at Kanoa Resort, which has been designated as a quarantine site. The Mariana Resort & Spa was also being used as a temporary quarantine site but the Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services brought those in quarantine there to Kanoa Resort yesterday.

Tudela stated that they have protocols to ensure the safety of everyone who are in quarantine, as well as the first responders.

“We are using PPE [personal protective equipment], and also have designated areas for those who have symptoms that are away from patients/passengers without symptoms,” said Tudela.

Tudela assures that the two individuals are being monitored closely and checked daily, making sure they are stable and don’t need any additional health intervention. There is no reason that the two individuals should be hospitalized, he added.

“I think all of us who are working at Kanoa are really taking a risk. We are the frontline, and that’s why we would like for everyone to do their part,” said Tudela.

In addition, Tudela said that two positive patients that are in isolation do not have any contact with the rest of the people who are currently in quarantine.

“Those that are without symptoms, we have them grouped so that they can do daily stuff, but never in a large group,” said Tudela. Individuals who are in Kanoa are also practicing social distancing—keeping a distance of 6 feet from other people.

According to Tudela, “we have to prepare for the worst.”

“Let us continue to practice social distancing, staying 6 feet apart in public areas, and avoiding contact with our man’amko and our loved ones who have chronic illnesses,” said Torres.

CHCC ventilators

Right now, the Commonwealth Health Center has a total of 86 beds but only 76 beds are available and there are only 17 ventilators. Tudela stated that they will be ordering more ventilation machines.

He stated that Kanoa Resort will remain a quarantine facility to help prevent any more spread or “repress any widespread transmission.”

Guam’s confirmed COVID-19 cases

The Guam Department of Public Health and Social Services tested 23 individuals for COVID-19 yesterday, March 29. One tested positive and 22 tested negative.

Since March 12, a total of 388 test were performed up until last March 28. Guam now has a total of 56 positive COVID-19 cases and 334 negative, and one death.

According to a statement from Joint Information Center in Guam, seven patients have recovered. A total of 48 individuals that were confirmed positive for the virus are currently in isolation. (With Krizel Tuazon)

Justine Nauta Nauta
Previous Story
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