The White House reportedly shelved a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention detailing how local governments and businesses can begin reopening during the pandemic.
The report,”Guidance for Implementing the Opening Up America Again Framework,” was supposed to be released Friday, but CDC scientists were told it “would never see the light of day,” according to an anonymous CDC official quoted by the Associated Press Thursday.
State and local governments have long looked to the CDC for science-based guidance on public health issues. In recent weeks, experts have been critical of the Trump administration’s limited release of guidance and information about the coronavirus.
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“The standard in a crisis is to turn to [the CDC] for the latest data and latest guidance and the latest press briefing. That has not occurred, and everyone sees that,” said Dr. Howard Koh, a Harvard professor and former health official in the Obama administration.
The report provides detailed guidance on reopening for child care centers, schools, churches, restaurants and bars, employers with vulnerable workers, and mass transit systems.
Some of the guidelines were already being used before the report was scheduled to be released. For example, the report instructs bars and restaurants to seat customers at least 6 feet apart. Many states that are reopening require establishments to follow that guideline.
