Collection

The Coronavirus Collection: US Government Response

Snopes investigates rumors about how the United States government and other organizations have responded to the coronavirus crisis.

Brandon Echter

Published Mar 5, 2020

An exterior view of the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions′s Roybal campus in Atlanta, GA. (Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain) (Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain)

An exterior view of the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions′s Roybal campus in Atlanta, GA. (Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain)

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As COVID-19 spread across the world in 2020, rumors about how the U.S. government and other organizations reacted to the crisis did as well. As Snopes investigates those claims, they'll be collected here.

Check out the other categories to read the rest of our COVID-19 fact checks. What questions do you have? Help Snopes investigate rumors around the novel coronavirus by sending us your tips.

Donald Trump.

Did President Trump Refer to the Coronavirus as a 'Hoax'?

Mar 2, 2020 Trump's commentary on the new coronavirus came before the virus began killing patients in the U.S.

Did Trump Administration Fire the US Pandemic Response Team?

Feb 26, 2020 As a new coronavirus spread in 2020, so did concerns about the United States' preparedness for a ...

did trump cut cdc coronavirus

Did President Trump Cut the CDC Budget?

Feb 27, 2020 As the new coronavirus spread in February 2020, so did concerns about the United States' readine ...

Did DOJ Propose Rollback of Defendants' Rights During Pandemic?

Mar 24, 2020 Any changes affecting constitutional guarantees afforded federal criminal defendants in the U.S. ...

Did Obama Declare Swine Flu an Emergency Only After 'Millions' Were Infected?

Mar 2, 2020 Not all "fact checks" are created equal.

Did US House Speaker Pelosi 'Hold Back' Coronavirus Funding?

Mar 11, 2020 The blame game for coronavirus response is on, but some claims aren't always accurate.

Did Disagreement Over Abortion Slow Coronavirus-Relief Talks?

Mar 13, 2020 Sources linked to Republican and Democratic lawmakers had each accused the other side of politic ...

14 people coronavirus plane

Who Allowed 14 People with Coronavirus on a Plane to US with Uninfected Passengers?

Feb 27, 2020 The CDC had previously stated its intent to block anyone who tested positive for the disease cau ...

Does Trump Own Stock in a Company CDC Uses for COVID-19 Tests?

Mar 11, 2020 The U.S. president’s finances are complex, but does Donald Trump actually benefit from the CDC’s ...

Is White House Invoking the Stafford Act to Impose a Quarantine and Mobilize the National Guard?

Mar 16, 2020 Announcements of a "national lockdown" or "mandatory quarantine" would not be made via viral tex ...

If You Get Sick With Coronavirus, Can Donald Trump Make You Stay Home?

Mar 10, 2020 Who really is in charge of the outbreak response? As with most things in American government, t ...

Did Schumer Delete a Tweet Criticizing Trump for Banning Air Travel from China 'Prematurely'?

Mar 28, 2020 Pranksters no longer need spend time with Photoshop to create convincing fake tweets.

No, This Is Not a Phone Number for Tracking Your Coronavirus Stimulus Payments

Apr 3, 2020 The IRS has not announced if Americans will be able to track the status of their stimulus paymen ...

Will Your Coronavirus Stimulus Check Count Against Your 2020 Tax Refund?

Apr 7, 2020 While the stimulus payment is technically a tax credit, its categorization as such was made only ...

jared kushner national stockpile

Was National Stockpile Website Edited After Jared Kushner's Comments?

Apr 9, 2020 On April 2, 2020, Jared Kushner said of the federal stockpile: "It's supposed to be our stockpil ...

hart island new york graves

Are 'Mass Graves' Being Dug for COVID-19 Deaths?

Apr 10, 2020 New York’s Hart Island has been used as a burial site for unclaimed deceased persons for more th ...

michigan flags

Did Michigan's Governor Ban the Sale of American Flags?

Apr 13, 2020 This outrage isn't going to stir itself.

Did Obama Urge US Pandemic Preparedness in 2014?

Apr 13, 2020 "There may and likely will come a time in which we have an airborne disease that is deadly," sai ...

Did Fauci Say There Was 'Nothing to Worry About' in Regards to COVID-19?

Apr 14, 2020 Accusations that Dr. Anthony Fauci said it was "safe" to go to the movies and gym in late Februa ...

Are CDC Guidelines for Reporting COVID-19 Deaths Artificially Inflating Numbers?

Apr 20, 2020 An opinion issued by a doctor serving in Minnesota's Legislature gained traction with right-wing ...

Did Pelosi Say Congress Would Not Return 'Unless There Is an Emergency'?

Apr 21, 2020 Both the U. S. House and Senate extended their recesses until May 4 due to the dangers of corona ...

Did Trump Admin Give $55M to 'Bankrupt Company' for N95 Masks It Doesn't Make?

Apr 22, 2020 FEMA stated it knows the company "doesn't make" the masks because the company is a broker, not a ...

Did Texas' Lt. Gov. Say 'There Are More Important Things Than Living'?

Apr 22, 2020 Dan Patrick called for social-distancing measures to be eased for his state amid the coronavirus ...

Are US Citizens Married to Immigrants Excluded from COVID-19 Stimulus Checks?

Apr 24, 2020 The answer, in part, depends on how couples filed their taxes.

Did Nancy Pelosi Visit Wuhan in November 2019?

Apr 26, 2020 Pelosi did take part in a Congressional delegation to China in November -- but in 2015, not 2019.

Does an 1866 Court Case Bar States from Enforcing Social-Distancing Regulations?

Apr 27, 2020 States may in fact use police powers to protect the health, safety, and welfare of persons withi ...

Is USPS Closing Soon Because of COVID-19?

Apr 29, 2020 For many Americans who fear leaving their homes during the pandemic, the Postal Service is a lif ...

Did the CDC Significantly 'Readjust COVID-19 Death Numbers'?

May 4, 2020 The COVID-19 "death rate" reported by the CDC goes up with the passage of time, and it has not b ...

kansas city church

Is Kansas City Ordering Churchgoers To Register with the Government?

May 5, 2020 Sensational headlines suggested the city was singling out churches for heavy-handed surveillance ...

Did Pence Deliver Empty PPE Boxes to a Rehabilitation Center?

May 8, 2020 The vice president had made a joke about carrying an empty box for the news cameras.

pelosi covid stimulus

Does Pelosi Want 'Guaranteed Minimum Incomes' for 'Illegal Aliens' in Next COVID-19 Stimulus?

May 11, 2020 A right-wing provocateur made the claim in a May 2020 tweet as federal leaders negotiated what t ...

Does H.R. 6666 Authorize Removing COVID-19 Patients from Their Homes?

May 12, 2020 Viral posts claimed that proposed legislation by U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush would supersede constituti ...

Does H.R. 6666 Require People to Be Vaccinated for COVID-19?

May 11, 2020 U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush’s $100 billion grant program proposed in the H.R. 6666 TRACE bill has been ...

Can You Defy Pandemic Shutdown Orders and Collect Damages?

May 12, 2020 Involuntary measures to control disease have a long history in North America.

Can People Without Disabilities Use an ADA 'Mask Loophole' in Stores?

May 12, 2020 For the record, Americans without disabilities are not protected by the federal Americans with D ...

california letter

Is California Separating Children from Parents Who Have COVID-19?

May 12, 2020 Someone apparently was hell-bent on scaring families with false rumors during the already stress ...

Close-up of man hand writing a letter

Did the Obama Administration Fail to Prepare a Pandemic 'Game Plan'?

May 13, 2020 Tactics and key policy decisions were laid out in a 69-page National Security Council playbook o ...

Did the US Surgeon General Recommend the Public Not Wear Masks?

May 13, 2020 Jerome Adams' comments from early 2020 were re-shared and went viral months after he changed his ...

copypasta

Are Democratic Legislators 'Giddy' Over COVID-19 Economic Fallout?

May 15, 2020 A classic example of what's called "copypasta" spreading unfounded rumors on social media.

Did CDC Issue Strict Rules for Reopening Schools in Pandemic?

May 22, 2020 A widely shared graphic paraphrased CDC recommendations that can be voluntarily adopted by schoo ...

Did Calif. Announce It Will Pay Undocumented Residents COVID-19 Stimulus While Laying Off First Responders?

May 27, 2020 A meme linked two separate events together to foment political controversy.

Were NY Nursing Homes Full of COVID-19 Patients While Hospital Ship Sat Empty?

May 27, 2020 Bureaucratic hurdles appeared to have prevented a hospital ship in New York City from being full ...

By Brandon Echter

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