×
GreekEnglish

×
  • Politics
  • Diaspora
  • World
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Culture
  • Sports
  • Cooking
Thursday
22
Jan 2026
weather symbol
Athens 9°C
  • Home
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • World
  • Diaspora
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Culture
  • Sports
  • Mediterranean Cooking
  • Weather
Contact follow Protothema:
Powered by Cloudevo
> World

US Virus Plan anticipates 18-month pandemic and widespread shortages

The plan was unclassified but marked “For Official Use Only // Not For Public Distribution or Release”

Newsroom March 19 09:33

A federal government plan to combat the coronavirus warned policymakers last week that a pandemic “will last 18 months or longer” and could include “multiple waves,” resulting in widespread shortages that would strain consumers and the nation’s health care system.

The 100-page plan, dated Friday, the same day President Donald Trump declared a national emergency, laid out a grim prognosis for the spread of the virus and outlined a response that would activate agencies across the government and potentially employ special presidential powers to mobilize the private sector.

Among the “additional key federal decisions” listed among the options for Trump was invoking the Defense Production Act of 1950, a Korean War-era law that authorizes a president to take extraordinary action to force American industry to ramp up production of critical equipment and supplies such as ventilators, respirators and protective gear for health care workers.

Read Also:

>Related articles

Turkish authorities raid Temu’s offices in Turkey

Ukraine: 60% of Kyiv without electricity after Russian strikes on energy facilities

Putin – Witkoff meeting on Thursday

Global COVID-19 outbreak has led to a surge in VPN usage (infographic)

“Shortages of products may occur, impacting health care, emergency services, and other elements of critical infrastructure,” the plan warned. “This includes potentially critical shortages of diagnostics, medical supplies (including PPE and pharmaceuticals), and staffing in some locations.” PPE refers to personal protective equipment.

Read more: The New York Times

Ask me anything

Explore related questions

#coronavirus#pandemic#plan#schedule#US President Donald Trump#usa#virus#world
> More World

Follow en.protothema.gr on Google News and be the first to know all the news

See all the latest News from Greece and the World, the moment they happen, at en.protothema.gr

> Latest Stories

Mytilineos-Tsakos ‘ big deal in storage projects in Central Greece

January 22, 2026

Fotini Pelouso: Her roots in Thebes, the hardest Greek word, and her favorite scene in ‘The Great Chimera’

January 22, 2026

Pulse poll: ND leads by 16.5 points, the 2nd largest margin since 2016, with left and center-left losing ground — Karystianou, Tsipras

January 21, 2026

Karditsa: Snow and severe weather – More than a meter in the mountainous areas, snow chains mandatory

January 21, 2026

Vasilis Markou: Strategy and outreach for Attica Vineyard

January 21, 2026

Tsiaras: Bipartisan dialogue necessary for the development of a national agricultural strategy

January 21, 2026

Turkish authorities raid Temu’s offices in Turkey

January 21, 2026

Schools in Attica will operate normally on Thursday

January 21, 2026
All News

> Economy

Mytilineos-Tsakos ‘ big deal in storage projects in Central Greece

Set up a special purpose vehicle with a 40%-60% stake

January 22, 2026

Papathanasis: Regional Development Programs approved for Thessaly, Epirus and the South Aegean

January 21, 2026

Von der Leyen in Davos: the signing of a mammoth trade agreement with India is just around the corner

January 21, 2026

German exports to the US down by 9.4% in the first eleven months of 2025

January 21, 2026

Pierrakakis: ‘We cannot face enormous geopolitical challenges and delay important institutional decisions’

January 20, 2026
Homepage
PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION POLICY COOKIES POLICY TERM OF USE
Powered by Cloudevo
Copyright © 2026 Πρώτο Θέμα