Ashish Jha: Harvard Doctor Calls for National Quarantine

YouTube Ashish Jha

Dr. Ashish Jha, the director of the Harvard Global Health Institute, has called on the U.S. government to impose a national quarantine to more effectively slow down the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. During an interview on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, Jha declared that if the government doesn’t place the United States under a national quarantine, “many more people will die.”

Jha said, “Our hospitals and emergency rooms are not ready. We have two choices. Basically we can either have a national quarantine now, two weeks, get a grip on where things are, and then reassess.”

He continued, “Or we can not, wait another week and when things look really terrible, be forced into it and that’s going to last much longer, many more people will die. So those are really our two choices—get ahead of it or wait until we’re even further behind.”

Many states have imposed their own measures to mitigate and prevent Americans from contracting the coronavirus, including the closure of bars, restaurants and schools. On March 16, the White House set out guidelines to combat the spread of COVID-19, which included avoiding gatherings of more than 10 people.

What Would a National Quarantine Look Like?

Dr. Jha explained what the national quarantine would entail — the United States would look like Italy, a country that is currently on a national lockdown because of COVID-19. He explained that essential services would remain open, including grocery stores and pharmacies. However, nonessential services, like bars and restaurants, would remain closed during the national quarantine.

There also wouldn’t be any public gatherings, and individuals would have to stay in their homes the majority of the time.

Jha said, “It’s going to be really hard and economically very tough, but the alternative is economically even more devastating. I think we are in between a rock and a hard place, we’ve got to make the right call.”

CNN reported that in Italy, only one member of the household is allowed the leave the house to pick up groceries or go to the pharmacy, and police have been ticketing individuals for wandering around.

NSC Confirmed National Quarantine Text Message Rumor Was Fake

On March 15, the National Security Council informed Americans that, “Text message rumors of a national quarantine are fake. There is no national lockdown. [The CDC] has and will continue to post the latest guidance on [COVID-19 coronavirus].”

A text message from a “friend in the military” had been circulating. The message said that within 2 to 3 days, President Trump would invoke the Stafford Act and order a national quarantine for two weeks. The message also informed Americans to stock up on supplies to prepare.

Here is an example of what the text looked like: