An internal document created by the White House coronavirus task force paints a more serious picture of the state of the pandemic in the United States.
The document, which was obtained by the Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit newsroom in Washington, outlines a series of public policy recommendations for 18 “red zone” states, meaning they reported more than 100 new cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 people last week.
According to the document, which is 350 pages long, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nevada, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah are all states within the red zone.
Policy suggestions for those areas include limiting social gatherings to 10 people, closing bars and gyms, and asking citizens to wear masks at all times outside their homes.
The document has not been made public, though Dr. Deborah Birx, a core member of the task force, appeared to reference an earlier version of the report, saying it was shared with governors.
Eleven states are also marked in the “red zone” for test positivity, meaning that more than 10% of total cases return positive. The task force compiled data from each county in the U.S.
The Washington Examiner has reached out to the White House for comment on the document.
Some state leaders, including Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, have maintained the position that states should reopen their economies despite surges in coronavirus infections. This week, Kemp issued an order requiring that cities withdraw mask mandates. After Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms defied the order, Kemp sued.
“This lawsuit is on behalf of the Atlanta business owners and their hardworking employees who are struggling to survive during these difficult times. These men and women are doing their very best to put food on the table for their families while local elected officials shutter businesses and undermine economic growth,” Kemp said in a tweet of the lawsuit.
Last week, DeSantis said the coronavirus data in Florida allows for students to return to school for the fall semester despite criticisms from teachers unions. “If you can do Home Depot, if you can do Walmart, if you can do these things, we absolutely can do the schools,” DeSantis said during a press conference.
