This casting of reality as whatever you want to believe led to a sort of choose-your-own-pandemic, in which decisions were pushed ever downward to governors, mayors or individuals. Some of these were well resourced, others not, but all less well than they would have been with adequate federal support. Members of the coronavirus task force resorted to broadcasting their own advice as widely as possible, either in meetings with local officials or through the media, so those who were willing to hear and act on it could benefit. The divided, inconsistent messaging set up the disastrous fall and winter, when deaths peaked at well over 4,000 each day.

Source: Washington Post June 25, 2021 12:00 UTC