White House told federal health agency to classify coronavirus deliberations - sources

Rueters ^

[janetjanet998]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House has ordered federal health officials to treat top-level coronavirus meetings as classified, an unusual step that has restricted information and hampered the U.S. government’s response to the contagion, according to four Trump administration officials.

The officials said that dozens of classified discussions about such topics as the scope of infections, quarantines and travel restrictions have been held since mid-January in a high-security meeting room at the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), a key player in the fight against the coronavirus.

[janetjanet998]

SCIFs are usually reserved for intelligence and military operations. Ordinary cell phones and computers can’t be brought into the chambers. HHS has SCIFs because theoretically it would play a major role in biowarfare or chemical attacks.

A high-level former official who helped address public health outbreaks in the George W. Bush administration said “it’s not normal to classify discussions about a response to a public health crisis.”

[MeganC]

Hate to agree with the critics but this kind of thing does not need to be kept secret. We’re not China, right?

[Sacajaweau]

The media is chomping at the bit to nail Trump as the No. One transmitter of this virus.

[janetjanet998]

Hate to agree with the critics but this kind of thing does not need to be kept secret

---

the first full Congressional briefing a few weeks ago also was also classified ..people also thought that was odd

[jospehm20]

Maybe this is a bio weapon the Chicoms let get out and maybe our people know it and they don’t want that getting out and ramping up even more panic.

[Sacajaweau]

Tossing ideas around is fodder for our sleuthing media...who speculate on speculations in a speculatory way. LOL

[ClearCase_guy]

Doesn’t seem surprising.

One way or another, this still seems like Chinese biowarfare gone wrong. If the US needs to address that aspect of the current pandemic, I imagine some classified info may get put on the table.

[dfwgator]

If Obama did the same thing, which most likely he would have, nobody would have batted an eye.

[cuban leaf]

Hate to agree with the critics but this kind of thing does not need to be kept secret.

---

Depends. If we knew what they know, maybe we would think it needs to be kept secret. We don’t know, so we can’t make the determination. Only they can, and then we can judge the decision accordingly after everything plays out.

[rockinqsranch]

It’s apparent to me anyway they are trying to keep from feeding the press anything they can twist, spin into panic reporting. Maybe it’s a good idea, and maybe not so good, but ultimately they are trying to prevent panic.

[cuban leaf]

This whole thing is sure going to be a boon to Amazon.

[MeganC]

Makes me wonder if this thing is worse than our government is telling us.

[mewzilla]

If the administration has proof bad actors are involved in any way, I can understand the need for secrecy.

[timestax]

[jospehm20]

I don’t think it is a coincidence this started int he same town and same part of town where they have a high level bio “research” lab.

[mewzilla]

Do you see hospitals overflowing? Piles of bodies outside your local morgue? Page after page after page of obit listings in your local rag?

If the answer is no, it’s not worse.

[Paladin2]

Is RosenWeasel’s sister a potential leaker?

[dfwgator]

Makes me wonder if this thing is worse than our government is telling us.

"Are you telling us everything?"

"Not exactly. We're also out of coffee."

[ealgeone]

If Obama did the same thing, which most likely he would have, nobody would have batted an eye.

In the media....no.

Here on FR....oh yes.

[JoSixChip]

Makes me wonder if this thing is worse than our government is telling us.

I think they know this is an extinction level event. They only need to keep us calm for another week or so, by then we'll all be dead, Dead...DEAD!