“ all major cities must prepare to be ground zero” is the more efficient route because they are in the best position to determine what they can do and what nuan

“ all major cities must prepare to be ground zero” is the more efficient route because they are in the best position to determine what they can do and what nuances exist for their particular place. You want a strong team of experts (epidemic experts, medial, logistical) at the federal level advising everyone what they should be doing (and perhaps making some federal funding available) and then the city and state responsible for implementing. Otherwise you get a bureaucratic mess beholden to particular politics (eg WHO). The current version of the CDC is a good plan structurally, just poorly implemented.