Congress delayed appropriations that included CDC fundind almost 3 months and reduced CDC line items for immunization and for public health response by $660 Million from the FY2019 appropriations. President Trump signed EO 13887 in late Sept making flu season a CDC priority so they were able to redirect availble funds.
Digs in to several state health department websites and articles on manufacturers indidicate little if any planning for coronavirus from late December into February. Nothing indicated training, response plan reviews, alerts to hospitals, inventory and ordering of equipment. If any item was performed, it was not on the public website or news briefs.
GE specifically noted they did not receive orders for ventilators, so they had not ramped up production earlier. From the press briefing, VP Pence's comments about 3M and masks indicated they had had not received orders. WA State did not post a coronavirus reporting form until March.
Meanwhile the seasonal influenza has been ignored. January and February positive test ranged from 10,000 to 21,000 per week. Deaths from influenza ranged from 403 to 487 per week. CDC compiles all states together so looked at several states for distribution. Turns out each state compiles testing and results differently. Since adult deaths are not reportable, a few states (NY) does not post the number.