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The White House's Responsibility to CDC Guides 2:37
(CNN) - The guidelines for reopening the U.S. economy drafted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that were archived by the Trump administration are much stricter and more detailed than the House's own roadmap Blanca was making a return to normality, according to a review made by CNN.
This Wednesday, CNN obtained the document, which is expanded into a 17-page draft report that CNN reported last week. A senior CDC official told CNN at the time that the White House does not plan to implement the agency's guidelines, even though the full report is the result of a request by the White House coronavirus task force, specifically Dr. Deborah Birx.
The Associated Press first reported on the complete CDC guidance.
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The 68-page public health surveillance and modeling examines how Americans can safely and slowly return to normal life. While some of the advice is consistent with the "White House Guidelines: Open America Again," the document contains additional details on what is needed for schools, businesses, faith communities, public transportation, and travel resumes successfully.
Based on the guide, "no one who is reopening meets the criteria for reopening," a senior CDC official told CNN.
A major discrepancy between the White House and CDC guidelines concerns non-essential travel. In the White House plan, nonessential travel may resume as early as Phase 2. However, the CDC recommends that nonessential travel be avoided until Phase 3, and even then suggest that it “can be considered” and advises caution. .
The White House has explained a three-phase approach to reopening the country's economy from orders to stay home aimed at fighting the spread of the new coronavirus. The first phase suggests that schools that are closed should stay that way and employees who can telework should continue to work from home. Large venues, including some restaurants, can operate under strict social distancing protocols. Gyms can open as long as they maintain social distancing guidelines, but bars must remain closed. Phases 2 and 3 gradually decrease the recommended restrictions.
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President Donald Trump has urged the country to reopen and encouraged governors to take steps to lift restrictions in their states despite the fact that many of them do not meet the benchmarks set by the coronavirus workforce of the White House. Public health professionals have repeatedly stated that reopening the country too soon could lead to a second wave of coronavirus cases and lead to more deaths.
As of May 13 at night, more than 84,000 Americans had died from covid-19 and more than 1.39 million cases had been reported in the United States, according to the Johns Hopkins University Center for Science and Systems Engineering.
The CDC draft also provides various outlines on how to monitor the reopening and prevent and contain potential outbreaks from occurring during that process. CDC provides communities with details on what to look for regarding potential outbreaks while implementing mitigation techniques.
However, as CNN reported last week, the Trump administration does not plan to use the CDC's guidance. An administration official told CNN last week that CDC leaders had not seen the draft before it was leaked and that the working group was concerned about the redacted guidance. That administration official told CNN that the CDC guide was "too prescriptive" and did not fit the "phases" described by the working group.
A senior administration official added that the draft document was the subject of heated internal discussions, but ultimately members of the working group felt that it was too specific and might not be useful as guidance at the national level.
The archived guidelines have fueled another gap between the White House and the CDC, which generally leads public health efforts during a pandemic.
During testimony before a Senate Committee on Tuesday, CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield said his agency's guide will be released soon, but did not offer an exact time.
A CDC spokesman declined to comment on the document.
Draft guidelines provide specific guidance for different sectors
The draft document included specific guidance for six categories: child care programs; schools and day camps; communities of faith; employers with vulnerable workers; restaurants and bars; and public transportation administrators. For each category, it points out the reopening in phases, CNN reported last week.
CDC guidelines also include updated language on religious organizations. Those additional details came after officials from the US Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights. USA They asked CDC to facilitate recommendations for social distancing for those groups, encouraging federal health officials to allow churches to congregate, an official involved with CNN said.
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The official said the orientation was a point of discussion with the government.
According to the official, HHS officials "made them" draw a reference to the communion plaques, despite a scientific review that confirmed that one of the ways people can contract the virus is to drink from a communion cup during a religious celebration. Health officials outside HHS, but still involved in the discussion of the guidelines, expressed concern about this request.
A source familiar with the matter said that this is in line with the president's agenda and complained that the original wording in the CDC document went against that agenda by pointing to the churches. This official said the guidelines should be broader, giving the example of "no one should share a drink" versus "not sharing a communion drink."
Roger Severino, director of the HHS Office for Civil Rights, told CNN that the agency does not comment on internal deliberations, but added that “protections against religious discrimination are not suspended during an emergency. This means that the federal government cannot single out religious behaviors that are in any way more dangerous or scrutinized than comparable secular behavior. HHS has a duty to educate the public on how to stay safe during this crisis and can do so without dictating to people how they should worship God. "
The guidelines detail additional suggestions for restaurants, and how to serve meals in child care programs and schools.
Some suggestions for restaurants in various phases of reopening include limiting the size of parties dining together to ensure social distancing and considering options for customers to order their meals in advance to limit the amount of time they spend at the establishment.
Child care programs and schools are encouraged to serve meals in classrooms rather than cafeterias and to close communal areas like auditoriums.
Public transportation was included in the report. One of the guidelines suggested by the CDC was that buses should close seats every other row.
- CNN's Betsy Klein, Kevin Liptak and Joe Johns contributed to this report.
Social distancing Reopening