The World Health Organization pleaded Wednesday for $675 million to combat the new virus from China, saying deep-pocketed countries should realize that things will get worse unless they open their purse strings.
“Invest today or pay more later,” WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus said.
Mr. Ghebreyesus said $60 million would fund WHO operations, while the rest would go to countries that are “especially at risk and who need our support” in fighting the novel coronavirus that’s been traced back to a live-animal market in Wuhan, China.
He issued his plea as the U.S. government confirmed it flew about 350 passengers out of Wuhan on a pair of flights this week. They’ve been taken to military installations scattered around the country for the 14 days of mandatory quarantine that President Trump ordered as part of his virus-response plan.
The majority of the passengers are U.S. citizens, though the State Department said it flew out a limited number of immediate family members of those citizens and some U.S. permanent residents.
The coronavirus can cause a range of scary symptoms, including severe pneumonia and acute respiratory distress. It has infected more than 24,000 people and killed nearly 500 people in mainland China.
Cases outside of China are approaching 200 and spread across 24 countries. Wisconsin officials reported the 12th case in the U.S. on Wednesday.
The patient is an adult who was exposed to known cases during recent travel to Beijing. State officials said the person is isolated at home and doing well.
WHO said the bulk of the outbreak is still centered in the Hubei province of China, with 16,678 cases, so that should be the primary focus of global efforts.
“Doing our best at the epicenter slows the spread of the virus,” Mr. Ghebreyesus said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it took the latest evacuees from Hubei province to Travis Air Force Base in Sacramento, California, Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio and Eppley Airfield in Omaha, Nebraska.
The U.S. previously flew nearly 200 people out of the Chinese city on Jan. 29. They are under quarantine in California.
All passengers from Wuhan will be screened and evaluated “every step of the way,” the CDC said.
Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper also approved the use of Camp Ashland, a department property in Nebraska, for quarantining up to 75 people who may arrive from areas affected by the coronavirus.
The Defense Department said its personnel will not be involved because the Health and Human Services Department is responsible for evacuees.
“Should routine monitoring of the evacuees identify ill individuals, HHS has procedures in place to transport them to a local civilian medical facility,” the Defense Department said. “HHS will also ensure that no evacuated personnel are transferred to any DOD installation if they are infected or ill.”
Congressional Democrats said enhanced efforts are going to require more funding.
Two senior appropriators, Reps. Nita Lowey and Rosa DeLauro, told the president this week to submit an emergency funding request alongside his fiscal 2021 budget no later than Monday.
“Further resources will be necessary to support an aggressive and comprehensive government-wide response to the 2019 novel coronavirus, both domestically and internationally,” the lawmakers wrote to Health Secretary Alex Azar.
WHO officials in Switzerland, meanwhile, said they are tapping $9 million from its contingency fund for emergencies to send 500,000 masks and 40,000 respirators to 24 countries dealing with the virus.
“This is not a time for fear, this is not a time for panic,” Mr. Ghebreyesus said. “It’s a time for rational, evidence-based action and investment, while we still have a window of opportunity to bring this outbreak under control.”
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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