{"id":250102,"date":"2020-03-26T22:03:08","date_gmt":"2020-03-27T02:03:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/?p=250102"},"modified":"2020-03-26T22:03:08","modified_gmt":"2020-03-27T02:03:08","slug":"trump-says-feds-developing-new-guidelines-for-virus-risk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/2020\/03\/26\/trump-says-feds-developing-new-guidelines-for-virus-risk\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump says feds developing new guidelines for virus risk"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
FILE: Donald Trump speaking with supporters at a campaign rally at the Prescott Valley Event Center in Prescott Valley, Arizona. (Photo<\/a>: Gage Skidmore\/Flickr<\/a>, CC BY-SA 2.0<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

WASHINGTON \u2014 President Donald Trump said Thursday that federal officials are developing guidelines to rate counties by risk of virus spread, as he aims to begin to ease nationwide guidelines meant to stem the coronavirus outbreak.<\/p>\n

In a letter to the nation’s governors, Trump said the new guidelines are meant to enable state and local leaders to make \u201cdecisions about maintaining, increasing, or relaxing social distancing and other measures they have put in place.\u201d States and municipalities would still retain authority to set whatever restrictions deem necessary.<\/p>\n

He has been trying for days to determine how to contain the economic fallout of the guidelines issued by his administration as well as local leaders to slow the tide of infections.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery day that we stay out it gets harder to bring it back very quickly,\u201d Trump said during a Thursday press conference.<\/p>\n

Last week Trump unveiled a 15-day program advising against large gatherings and calling for many Americans to remain at home. The guidelines, issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are voluntary, but many state and local leaders have issued mandatory restrictions in line with, or even tighter than, those issued by the CDC.<\/p>\n

The White House was still developing the new guidelines and gathering the data to back them up, Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House co-ordinator for coronavirus response, told reporters Thurday.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we are trying to do is utilize a very laser-focused approach rather than an generic horizontal approach,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Birx acknowledged concerns that people could simply move between areas with different infection risks \u2014 and potentially different restrictions on movement and gathering amid the outbreak.<\/p>\n

\u201cPart of this will be the need to have highly responsible behaviour between counties,\u201d she said, saying the administration would provide additional guidance to states next week, once the new plan is finalized.<\/p>\n

Two administration officials said it would not involve any restrictions on travel between hotspots and those with lower rates of infection.<\/p>\n

Trump announced Thursday that he would visit Norfolk, Virginia, on Saturday to see off the USNS Comfort, the 1,000-bed hospital ship heading to assist New York in responding to the virus.<\/p>\n

On a conference call with governors Thursday, Trump stressed the need to reopen businesses and to recognize regional differences in the virus’ impact.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe all have to get smart,\u201d Trump said on the call, audio of which was obtained by The Associated Press. \u201cWe have to open up our country, I’m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mississippi Republican Gov. Tate Reeves, who has not ordered business closures or limits on social behaviour, thanked Trump for recognizing that the virus has affected states differently and \u201cone size does not fit all.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI appreciate you realizing that,\u201d Reeves said.<\/p>\n

The announcement of the forthcoming new guidelines comes days after Trump said he hoped to \u201creopen\u201d the country by Easter.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would love to have the country opened up and just raring to go by Easter,\u201d he said Tuesday during a Fox News virtual town hall. Easter is just over two weeks away \u2014 Apr. 12.<\/p>\n

\u201cWouldn’t it be great to have all of the churches full?\u201d Trump said in a subsequent interview. \u201cYou’ll have packed churches all over our country.\u201d<\/p>\n

Health experts have made clear that unless Americans continue to dramatically limit social interaction \u2014 staying home from work and isolating themselves \u2014 the number of infections will overwhelm the health care system, as it has in parts of Italy, leading to many more deaths.<\/p>\n

And scientists, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, have cautioned against artificial timetables.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you’ve got to understand that you don’t make the timeline, the virus makes the timeline,\u201d Fauci told CNN Wednesday. \u201cSo you’ve got to respond, in what you see happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

White House counsellor Kellyanne Conway said Trump developed the Easter date as a goal to give people \u201chope.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think, Easter, the president was giving people a lot of hope and basically telling us it won’t last forever, and we’ll see what happens over time,\u201d she told reporters Thursday.<\/p>\n

While the worst outbreaks are concentrated in certain parts of the country, most significantly in New York, experts warn that the highly infectious disease is certain to spread.<\/p>\n

Trump said the rollout of additional testing will enable more nuanced recommendations that would allow some lesser-impacted parts of the country to regain a sense of normalcy sooner.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur expanded testing capabilities will quickly enable us to publish criteria, developed in close co-ordination with the Nation’s public health officials and scientists, to help classify counties with respect to continued risks posed by the virus,\u201d Trump said.<\/p>\n

Trump, appearing to allude to the forthcoming guidelines, promised that there would be new favourable \u201cstatistics\u201d and \u201cfacts\u201d coming from the federal government in the next two days.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome good statistics are coming out which will make your lives easier,\u201d Trump said.<\/p>\n

\u2014<\/p>\n

Suderman reported from Richmond, Va.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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