US President-elect Joe Biden has chosen Ronald Klain to serve as his chief of staff, according to the New York Times.
As the Washington Post notes, Klain has long worked in Washington, and served as chief of staff to Biden when he was vice president as well as to Al Gore when he was vice president. Additionally, the Post notes that during the Obama Administration, Klain coordinated the response to the Ebola outbreak as the Ebola Czar and adds that Klain has since been critical of the Trump administration response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
CNN notes that the choice underscores the emphasis Biden is placing on the coronavirus. His experience, NBC News adds, gives Klain "both familiarity with Biden and important credentials as the COVID-19 response will consume Biden's opening months."
Earlier this year, Klain spoke with Wired about what he learned from the Ebola outbreak that could be applicable to the COVID-19 pandemic. "The high-level lessons applicable today are, first and foremost, let the medical experts be the touchstone of the response — let them be the people who are formulating this strategy, let them be the spokespeople," Klain told it.