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That easy you can get covid-19 in restaurants 1:15
Washington (CNN) - The Donald Trump administration will not implement the 17-page draft of recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for the reopening of the United States, as confirmed to CNN. on Thursday a senior CDC official.
The guideline provided more detailed suggestions beyond the reopening guidelines the administration had presented last month, including specific suggestions for schools and churches. President Donald Trump in recent days has emphasized the need to quickly reopen the U.S. economy despite the insistence of public health officials to take a more cautious approach.
A senior CDC official confirmed to CNN that it was clear Wednesday night that the White House was not going to implement its 17-page draft of recommendations to reopen the U.S., after requesting it. The White House decision not to use the guideline was first reported by The Associated Press.
"We are used to dealing with a White House that asks for things and then chaos ensues. A team of people at CDC spent countless hours responding to a question from Debbie Birx, ”the source said.
"The 17-page report represents a request by the White House Task Force to make these recommendations. That is our role. Prepare this guide ”.
A task force official told CNN that Trump's guidelines announced in mid-April to reopen the country "made it clear that each state must open itself safely and responsibly based on the data and response efforts in those individual states ”.
An administration official told CNN that CDC leaders had not seen the draft document before it was leaked, and that there were two concerns when it reached the task force. It was "too prescriptive" because "the orientation in rural Tennessee should not be the same orientation for the urban city of New York," and the recommendations in the document did not fit into the "phases" that had already been outlined by the working group.
The working group requested that the document be sent to CDC for review, which was not returned. The administration official did not know if there was a CDC-level decision to archive the idea.
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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.
Birx, a White House coronavirus special force official, told CNN Anderson Cooper Thursday night that CDC recommendations are still being prepared "to really make sure that both the American people and public health understand the guidelines. ”
Birx said "I just had my CDC issues back last night" and that he is "working on it as soon as I get out of this discussion."
"We are constantly working with CDC and we really value the relationship with them," he said.
"We want to return to the above"
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; mass transit administrators. For each category, the draft document indicates the reopening in phases.
But the White House has been the subject of an intense lobbying effort by certain sectors seeking to influence the guidelines, the senior CDC official said. And Trump publicly noted last week that he was unlikely to sign guidelines recommending a return to an altered lifestyle.
“I see that the new normal is what it was three months ago. I think we want to go back to the old days, ”Trump said in a meeting with representatives from the restaurant and hospitality industries.
"I want to go back to before, that's where we're going," said Trump.
At the White House briefing on Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany reiterated the White House initiative to allow governors to implement their own guidelines.
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"This is an effort led by the governors. The President has said that Governors make the decisions to move forward and we encourage them to follow our gradual approach, "said McEnany.
The decision to reject CDC's guidance is part of the continuing friction that has taken place between the top US health agency. and the White House, the agency official said. CDC is trying to implement its recommendations at the state level through state agencies.
Part of the recommendation debate had to do specifically with what was recommended for business.
"The CDC, the White House task force and White House purposes disagreed over how strong a public health response should be," the official said.
The official added that Labor Department officials told the agency, which is part of the government process, that according to the agency's proposed guidelines, some of the restrictions that would have to be imposed on entities such as churches and businesses were too strict. , and companies would be vulnerable to legal liability if a worker contracts or dies from covid-19 on the job.
"In the absence of law, it is regulation, and in the absence of regulation, they are recommendations. They think it is too open for the courts to interpret if something happens at work. It doesn't matter if (the Health and Safety Administration) is playing the game or not, ”said the CDC source.
CDC