Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
CDC Releases Pared-Down Guidance After White House Shelved More Comprehensive Plan To Reopen
The New York Times: C.D.C. Issues Reopening Checklists For Schools And Businesses
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday released six flow charts meant to help schools, restaurants, transit systems and other businesses decide when to reopen during the coronavirus pandemic, the agency’s first release of such guidance after a more comprehensive draft was rejected by the White House. The decision trees are mostly composed of basic tips that can serve as a checklist for businesses before they reopen. In the slide for restaurants and bars, the C.D.C. says the establishments should feel comfortable opening if they are not violating local laws, promote good hygiene, increase cleaning, encourage social distancing and institute lenient sick leave policies, among a few other suggestions. (Bogel-Burroughs, 5/15)
Reuters: U.S. CDC Issues Guidelines On How To Reopen Schools, Transit And Workplaces
“These six decision trees are to assist leaders of these entities in thinking through health considerations and making operational decisions during the COVID-19 pandemic,” a CDC spokesman said in an emailed statement. The tools stress working with state and local health officials. They are intended to help business owners develop policies for their employees. (Steenhuysen, 5/14)
The Associated Press: Officials Release Edited Coronavirus Reopening Guidance
Early versions of the documents included detailed information for churches wanting to restart in-person services, with suggestions including maintaining distance between parishioners and limiting the size of gatherings. The faith-related guidance was taken out after the White House raised concerns about the recommended restrictions, according to government emails obtained by The Associated Press and a person inside the agency who didn’t have permission to talk with reporters and spoke on condition of anonymity. (Stobbe and Dearen, 5/15)
Politico: CDC Releases Scaled-Back Guidance On Reopening After White House Blocked Earlier Release
The new guidance comes as dozens of governors, to varying degrees, have begun easing restrictions on businesses and social activities, and Trump urges them to move faster — even as his health officials warn against moving too quickly. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, on Tuesday warned that reopening the country too early could yield “really serious” consequences if states don’t have the capacity to respond to new infections. (Roubein, 5/14)
The Washington Post: CDC Offers Brief Checklists To Guide Businesses, Schools And Others On Reopening
A CDC spokesman said additional recommendations may still come from the agency. The six decision trees were ready for release, so the administration decided to put them out while other guidelines make their way through the review process. The documents released Thursday are aimed at helping facilities decide if they’re ready to open and inform how they do so, he said. “This was an effort on our part to make some decision trees we thought might be helpful to those moving forward with opening their establishment,” the spokesperson said. (Bernstein, Wan, Dawsey and Bailey, 5/14)
The Hill: READ: CDC Guidelines For US Reopening
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Thursday evening released new guidelines for schools, workplaces and other venues throughout the United States to reopen safely as the country continues to wrestle with the coronavirus pandemic. The CDC's guidelines come following uproar after The Associated Press reported that the White House blocked an earlier iteration of the guidelines, saying that they were too restrictive. Read a copy of the guidelines [here]. (5/14)
