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U.S. NEWS Friday 8 May 2020
Trump administration buries detailed CDC advice on reopening

Continued from Front “States and local health
departments do need gui-
The Trump administration dance on a lot of the chal-
has been closely control- lenges around the decision
ling the release of guidan- to reopen,” said Dr. Marcus
ce and information during Plescia, chief medical of-
the pandemic spurred by a ficer of the Association of
new coronavirus that scien- State and Territorial Health
tists are still trying to under- Officials.
stand, with the president “You can say that restau-
himself leading freewhee- rants can open and you
ling daily briefings until last need to follow social dis-
week. tancing guidelines. But
Traditionally, it’s been the restaurants want to know,
CDC’s role to give the pu- ‘What does that look like?’”
blic and local officials gui- The White House’s own
dance and science-based “Opening Up America
information during public Again” guidelines released
health crises. During this last month were more va-
one, however, the CDC has gue than the CDC’s un-
not had a regular, pande- published report. They in-
mic-related news briefing structed state and local
in nearly two months. CDC governments to reopen in
Director Dr. Robert Redfield In this April 16, 2020, file photo, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and accordance with federal
has been a member of the Infectious Diseases, and Dr. Deborah Birx, and local “regulations and
White House coronavirus Associated Press guidance” and to monitor
task force, but largely ab- federal government’s role king site-specific decisi- for reopening in one place. employees for symptoms of
sent from public appearan- as a “supplier of last resort” ons related to reopening For example, the report COVID-19. The White House
ces. for states in need of testing schools, restaurants, sum- suggested restaurants and guidance also included
The dearth of real-time, pu- aid. mer camps, churches, day bars should install sneeze advice developed earlier
blic information from the A person close to the White care centers and other guards at cash registers in the pandemic that re-
nation’s experts has struck House’s coronavirus task institutions. It had been and avoid having buffets, mains important like social
many current and former force said the CDC docu- widely shared within the salad bars and drink stati- distancing and encoura-
government health officials ments were never cleared CDC and included de- ons. Similar tips appear on ging working from home.
as dangerous. by CDC leadership for pu- tailed “decision trees,” flow the CDC’s site and a Food At a briefing Wednesday,
The Trump administration blic release. The person said charts to be used by local and Drug Administration White House spokeswoman
has instead sought to put that White House officials officials to think through dif- page. Kayleigh McEnany echoed
the onus on states to hand- have refrained from offe- ferent scenarios. One page But the shelved report also the administration’s stance
le COVID-19 response. This ring detailed guidance for of the document can be said that as restaurants that states are most res-
approach to managing how specific sectors should found on the CDC website start seating diners again, ponsible for their own CO-
the pandemic has been reopen because the virus via search engines, but it they should space tables VID-19 response: “We’ve
reflected in President Do- is affecting various parts of did not appear to be linked at least 6 feet (1.8 meters) consulted individually with
nald Trump’s public state- the country differently. The to any other CDC pages. apart and try to use phone states, but as I said, it’s (a)
ments, from the assertion person spoke on the condi- Some of the report’s sug- app technology to alert a governor-led effort. It’s a
that he isn’t responsible tion of anonymity to discuss gestions already appear patron when their table is state-led effort on ... which
for the country’s lackluster internal deliberations. on federal websites. But the ready to avoid touching the federal government
early testing efforts, to his The guidance contained guidance offered specific, and use of buzzers. That’s will consult. And we do so
description last week of the detailed advice for ma- tailored recommendations not on the CDC’s site now. each and every day.” q

Hundreds evacuated as wildfires rage in Florida Panhandle

PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP) — Nikki Fried. “All residents news conference that
Firefighters in the Florida and travelers should heed those who were asked
Panhandle have been evacuation requests and to leave their home but
battling wildfires that closely monitor the media had no place to go were
forced some 1,600 people for updates on the wildfire sent to South Walton High
to evacuate from their and reopening of I-10 and School.
homes, and a stretch of local roads.” On Wednesday, some
Interstate 10 remained A more than 575-acre fire 1,100 people were asked
closed in both directions in Walton County prompt- to evacuate in neighbor-
Thursday morning due to ed about 500 people to ing Santa Rosa County
smoke, authorities said. evacuate. Authorities due to a wildfire that broke
“This is an extremely dan- there said multiple struc- out Monday afternoon.
gerous and fast-moving tures were lost in the fire, Fried said about 12 struc-
wildfire situation that is which was 65% contained tures “have been lost to
evolving rapidly, so ev- Thursday morning. Fried the fire.” High winds and In this Wednesday evening, May 6, 2020 photo, a Florida
forestry tractor trailer is parked in Walton County, Fla., near a
eryone in the affected said about 33 structures low humidity caused that hot spot from a wildfire.
area should follow direc- have been damaged so blaze, east of Pensacola, Associated Press
tions from state and lo- far. Walton County Sher- to expand 10 times in size,
cal officials,” said Florida iff Michael Adkinson said the Florida Forest Service fire started as a prescribed of control, news outlets
Agriculture Commissioner during a Wednesday night said in a statement. The burn but quickly grew out reported.q