Sources: LA Times, NPR, CDC
Starting on January 28th the United States mandated a 14-day quarantine for all Americans returning from China’s Hubei Provence, the epicenter of the Coronavirus outbreak. These individuals are housed in various air bases and are kept under close medical watch. This was the first time that the CDC had used its quarantine power since a Smallpox outbreak in the 1960s. On January 31st President Trump banned entry into the United States for anyone traveling from China who isn’t a U.S. Citizen, permanent resident or a family member of either. Experts disagree as to whether these measures are necessary. Some say that they are essential for stopping an epidemic in the United States. Others, including the WHO, say that quarantines and travel bans have historically been ineffective since they create a false sense of security. There are also concerns that these actions may harm U.S.-China relations, therefore impeding the collaboration of health officials.
Questions:
- Was the CDC (Center for Disease Control) justified in using its quarantine power to halt the Coronavirus from spreading to the United States?
- How may these actions affect U.S. China relations, in particular in the context of current trade negotiations?
1. Yes. Regardless of if it's the most effective method, it certainly isn't ineffective in slowing the spread of virus. These actions should be within the CDC's authority.
ReplyDelete2. Especially given recent speculation that the coronavirus is wreaking havoc on the Chinese economy, I think that how the US institutes quarantine policies would be a low priority for them. China has recently been extremely adamant that it has the virus under control, although as skepticism of that increases with increasing international outbreaks, many countries, not just the US, may be tempted to wait on brokering deals until there are less pressing priorities. Then again, given how occupied China is, this would be a great time for the US to push aggressively for a beneficial deal.
Based on the severity of the coronavirus I think it was necessary for the CDC to use its quarantine power. This virus has killed over a thousand people already and we can not risk losing more lives. Quarantine lasts a couple weeks and is only imposed on those who recently traveled from the epicenter of the outbreak. This is an action that is being taken to prevent the spread of the virus and should be taken seriously. If someone was to have gotten the virus and had not been quarantined they could have infected several others putting not only their lives but also the lives around them at risk. I don't think China should be offended that the US is taking precaution rather than putting its citizens lives at risk. Trade at the moment may be complex for China but as soon as this outbreak is taken under control with effective prevention I think trade conditions can go back to before.
ReplyDeleteIn the name of public safety, the quarantine was definitely justified, as the virus has not spread incredibly far in the U.S. so far and it would be in public officials' best interest to keep it that way. While it may be true that a false sense of security is created, the measures themselves are definitely effective. It's then up to the citizens to understand that these precautions cannot be 100% foolproof, and that a few cases are likely to slip through. The risk of infection is still there, but chances are lowered through these safety measures. As for U.S. China relations, from what I know of them they're tense and hostile, what with trade wars. I've heard that China has already refused help from outside health officials, so I doubt there will be much impact there either, as the Chinese government seems dead-set on dealing with this now-global issue on their own. I may be wrong, though, since I'm not very well-informed on trade relations or the state of the Chinese government's reaction to the outbreaks.
ReplyDeleteThe coronavirus outbreak is destined to harm China's trade relations with any country, not just the US. I believe that the quarantines in place are ultimately necessary, and any repercussions are worth protecting citizens in the United States as well as other countries around the world. Problems such as spread of disease that may kill large portions of the population are simply bigger than politics, and must be treated seriously, regardless of other problems going on.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the CDC using its quarantine power in this situation is justified. I do not think that this extra precaution should be looked down upon. The more people we have coming into the US from places where cases of the Coronavirus have been seen, there is a larger risk of spreading the virus into the US. In my opinion, I do not believe that this quarantine should affect our relations with China because they should be understanding that we are doing everything in our power to stop the spread of this deadly disease. I can see that these measures being taken may seem over the top and unnecessary, but I would rather be overly cautious than be lax about the situation.
ReplyDeleteThe preemptive measures installed by the CDC have been methodical and comprehensive in terms of what they wish to achieve. This quarantine is for the best of the American people as it is another step to ensure the utmost safety of our citizens, which ought to be a government's top priority. This action is absolutely appropriate as the magnitude of the corona virus is only getting larger and more threatening to public safety by the day. Even if there has only been reported a handful of domestic incidents, precautions must be imposed in order to prevent a further spread that may not be containable. That said, I don't believe U.S.-China relations will be hindered significantly as these are the actions that are in response to an uncontrollable factor, not in retaliation of any shape or form. However, current trade negotiations may be impeded as China will no longer have some of its leverage which may very well delay this process even further.
ReplyDeleteI think the CDC's quarantine is justified in this situation because it is the most effective way of preventing the spread of the coronavirus, and there are not many alternatives. As Cynthia said, the coronavirus has not spread very far in the US, and the quarantine is the best way to keep preventing that. The coronavirus has effected the Chinese economy all around the world, and will probably continue to do so while the coronavirus is still spreading. China understands that the coronavirus is a serious concern and is working with the US to contain it, therefore I do not think that this will harm US-China relations.
ReplyDeleteI understand why they used their quarantine power, and to prevent the possible spread into the US and in the name of public health safety, it was justified. But I think that some of the panic around the Coronavirus is because it's new. Many experts say that the flu is more of a threat in the US than the coronavirus and that it's essential to be focusing our attention on getting the annual flu shot. The flu can still spread through air travel and it's just as important to wear a mask to prevent the risk of getting the flu as it is the coronavirus. But maybe because the flu has been around for a long time, there isn't much panic around it, even though millions of people get it each year and many die from it.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the CDC was justified in its quarantine. It is important to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus, and as many have mentioned, there are few other options. The prevention of disease transmission should be enforced no matter where the virus is from, and this action was not meant to specifically target U.S.-China relations. Currently, there are only 15 cases of the virus in the U.S., but this number could grow at an exponential rate if international travel is not regulated. In 2009, the H1N1 outbreak resulted in over 10,000 deaths in the U.S., and the outbreak spread to various countries, perhaps due to the lack of a travel ban enforced by the WHO. With that said, quarantines are not a clear-cut solution, especially as individuals are asymptomatic for two weeks but can still spread the virus.
ReplyDeleteI think the CDC was justified in using its quarantine power to try and diminish the possibility of the corona virus spreading throughout the U.S. Although it may seem excessive, at the moment it has more benefits than costs as there aren't many cases of the corona in the U.S. currently. This could potentially harm U.S. relations with China, but as Sydney pointed out, China's relationship with any other country would be harmed due to this epidemic. I think because the coronavirus is so new, there is a lot of media surrounding the issue causing many people to be afraid of it.
ReplyDeleteI do believe that the CDC was justified in using their quarantine power. By doing so, they are preventing the spread of coronavirus in the US. Additionally, by putting the quarantine in place while the outbreak of the coronavirus is still in its early stages, the CDC is taking precautions to minimize the spread of the virus.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that the US-China relations will be impacted at all actually. Quarantine is standard procedure with something as serious as this, and the amount of people even coming to the US is already low enough. If anything, this will impact the people coming into the country more than China.
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ReplyDeleteYes I believe the CDC were completely justified in using their quarantine power to stop the virus from spreading in the United States. Currently 60,364 people have the virus, 1,370 have died, and 6,292 have recovered. 15 people in the United States have CoronaVirus, including 8 people in California. The CDC needs to do everything they possibly can to prevent the spread of this virus. You can see live updates here:
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I’m not sure how this will affect the China-United States relationship, but I do think restricting air travel was definitely the right move.
Yes. The CDC was justified in using their quarantine power. The virus was able to spreed quickly among groups of people and we have many big cities in California. If one person were to get infected in a big city like L.A. we could have a lot more people quarantined now. I feel that US - China relations will not be effected as its the right protocol.
ReplyDeleteI think that the Center for Disease Control was justified in using their quarantine power to halt the Coronavirus from spreading. The coronavirus outbreak has been big on the news because more deaths and more people keep on getting it. This epidemic is causing fear. The United States' decision to quarantine those who came back from China would help calm down the anxiety of the coronavirus from speading. As of now, I do not think that relations between China and the US are good. There is tension between the two countries. Due to the fact that the coronavirus began in China, traveling to and from the US and China will be hard. Especially since now President Trump has banned entry into the United States from China with some regulations. In terms of trade, I don't think that the relations between the US and China will be that greatly affected.
ReplyDeleteI also think that the CDC was justified in their use of their quarantine power in order to attempt to stop the spread of the coronavirus. In regards to US and China relations, I do not think that this will affect them much because it was done in order to protect US citizens and to reduce the chances of the situation escalating even more. While the quarantine measures may create a false sense of security, it can also prevent mass hysteria which will ultimately be helpful in handling this problem quickly and efficiently.
ReplyDeleteI definitely believe that the CDC was justified in enforcing a quarantine in order to keep the virus from spreading. Considering the severity of the virus and the mortality rate, I do not think China should take offense or be surprised that the United States would take this measure to ensure the safety of American citizens. Although it may affect the trade relations between the two countries, the benefits outweigh the cost in terms of keeping people safe from the coronavirus.
ReplyDeleteI think that the CDC is justified in using their quarantine power to stop the Coronavirus from spreading. Quarantine is a common thing to do when something so deadly and serious has affected so many people. The severity of the Coronavirus and its death toll (thousands) makes it necessary for the CDC to take such intense action for public safety. It is best to contain this before it spreads even further and this gives people in the world a lower chance of infection. Public safety is more important than politics and needs to be taken seriously. I feel like this should impact U.S.-China relations since they are trying to stop this deadly disease from spreading.
ReplyDeleteI think the CDC’s action to quarantine the Coronavirus from spreading is valid. Considering it is only a 2-week quarantine, it is not strictly oppressing those entering the country who could potentially be carrying the virus. Taking such measures is more precautionary so I don’t find it constitutionally unviable. In regards to Trump’s ban however, I think this is inevitably going to harm US-China relations. Regardless of how necessary it is, I do not foresee a way in which China would be totally understanding. Given the current relation, it seems to me that think ban can only make it worse.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the CDC was justified in using its power of quarantine. The CDC's goal is to keep the American people safe from diseases, and given the infectious potential of the coronavirus, until a treatment is found, the best hope to keep the virus from spreading to the Americans is to quarantine all those returning from China. The coronavirus has been credited with hurting the Chinese economy significantly and given the recent trade war, China may interpret the actions in a negative light. In addition, as one of the most powerful countries in the world, the U.S. sets a precedent in whatever action they decide to take with the coronavirus. Since the U.S. decided to establish a quarantine, other counties may follow suit and hurt China's economy even more.
ReplyDeleteI believe the CDC’s quarantine is justified since it is the most effective way of preventing the coronavirus from spreading, and it is kind of the only other thing that can be done. Quarantine is also the smartest way to protect others especially when it has to do with something so deadly. The coronavirus has yet to spread very far in the US, and quarantine is the most effective way to prevent more spreading. This definitely impacts US and China because of the decision to quarantine, and this may cause other countries to follow after the US.
ReplyDeleteYes, the CDC was justified in using its power to quarantine the US. The coronavirus's outbreak in China and other countries has been a huge issue and I believe that it was the correct decision to make sure there was little to no chance of any spread into the United States. Precautions are necessary when the safety of thousands and thousands of people is at stake. The coronavirus not only affects the health but also the economy of America.
ReplyDeleteThis is such an interesting situation because I can't remember anything that can't compare. There are a lot of fictional TV shows that talk about crisis like this but it's difficult to comprehend that it is actually happening. Quarantine I believe is necessary because that's how we stop infection from spreading all know it is valid to assume that some might let their guard down because they believe that everyone who is infected is quarantined. I think that this could possibly help educate those who believe in anti-vax and push individuals to use medical facilities because it is something that can get out of hand when you don't take care of yourself.
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