White House Finalizing Guidelines To Help States Reopen In Phases
The effort has sparked sharp debates between public health experts and other officials who fear the guidance could restrict worship services, damage the profitability of restaurants and upend daily life in a way they deem unnecessary. President Donald Trump is also pushing for schools to reopen before the end of the year.
The Washington Post:
White House Is Reviewing Expanded Guidance On Reopening Society
The White House is finalizing expanded guidelines to allow the phased reopening of schools and camps, child-care programs, certain workplaces, houses of worship, restaurants and mass transit, according to documents under review by administration officials. Members of the White House coronavirus task force and other officials received the guidelines late last week, according to senior administration officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the guidelines have not been officially released. (Sun and Dawsey, 4/27)
Politico:
White House Signals A Pivot To Reopening The Country
On Monday, for instance, the president met with retail executives and spoke with governors about the coronavirus response and “economic revival,” a subject that has cropped up on several of his daily schedules in the past few weeks, replacing “mitigation” and “containment” of the new coronavirus. With a slimmed-down public schedule, Trump has spent much of April meeting — virtually or otherwise — with business groups, including his reopening council of more than 200 people. (Oprysko, 4/27)
The Associated Press:
Coronavirus: Barr Tells Prosecutors To Look For Unconstitutional Rules
Atty. Gen. William Barr on Monday ordered federal prosecutors across the U.S. to identify coronavirus-related restrictions from state and local governments “that could be violating the constitutional rights and civil liberties of individual citizens.” The memo to U.S. attorneys directs the head of the Justice Department’s civil rights division and the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan to coordinate the department’s efforts to monitor state and local policies and take action if needed. (4/27)
The Associated Press:
Trump Urges States To Consider Opening Schools Before Summer
President Donald Trump says states should “seriously consider” reopening their public schools before the end of the academic year, even though dozens already have said it would be unsafe for students to return until the summer or fall. Trump made the comments Monday in a call with governors discussing how to reopen their economies, among other topics. (Binkley, 4/28)
The Washington Post:
How Schools Are Planning To Reopen In Fall
From the White House podium to harried homes, pressure is building to reopen the nation’s schools. But the next iteration of American education will look far different from the classrooms students and teachers abruptly departed last month. Many overwhelmed school systems remain focused on running remote education that was set up on the fly. Others, though, are deep into planning for what they see coming: an in-between scenario in which schools are open but children are spread out in places where they are normally packed together. (Meckler, Strauss and Balingit, 4/27)
