Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Trump: New Guidelines Will Rate Virus Risk by County
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 5 years ago on
March 27, 2020

Share

WASHINGTON — 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.
In a letter to the nation’s governors, Trump said the new guidelines are meant to enable state and local leaders to make “decisions about maintaining, increasing, or relaxing social distancing and other measures they have put in place.” States and municipalities would still retain authority to set whatever restrictions deem necessary.

In a letter to the nation’s governors, Trump said the new guidelines are meant to enable state and local leaders to make “decisions about maintaining, increasing, or relaxing social distancing and other measures they have put in place.” States and municipalities would still retain authority to set whatever restrictions deem necessary.
Trump has been seeking 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.
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.
On a conference call with governors Thursday, Trump stressed the need to reopen businesses and to recognize regional differences in the virus’ impact.
“We all have to get smart,” Trump said on the call, audio of which was obtained by The Associated Press. “We have to open up our country, I’m sorry.”
Mississippi Republican Gov. Tate Reeves, who has not ordered business closures or limits on social behavior, thanked Trump for recognizing that the virus has affected states differently and “one size does not fit all.”
“I appreciate you realizing that,” Reeves said.
The announcement of the forthcoming new guidelines comes days after Trump said he hoped to “reopen” the country by Easter.
“I would love to have the country opened up and just raring to go by Easter,” he said Tuesday during a Fox News virtual town hall. Easter is just over two weeks away — Apr. 12.
“Wouldn’t it be great to have all of the churches full?” Trump said in a subsequent interview. “You’ll have packed churches all over our country.”

Experts Warn That the Highly Infectious Disease Is Certain to Spread

Health experts have made clear that unless Americans continue to dramatically limit social interaction — staying home from work and isolating themselves — the number of infections will overwhelm the health care system, as it has in parts of Italy, leading to many more deaths.
And scientists, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, have cautioned against artificial timetables.

“Our expanded testing capabilities will quickly enable us to publish criteria, developed in close coordination with the Nation’s public health officials and scientists, to help classify counties with respect to continued risks posed by the virus.” — President Donald Trump
“And you’ve got to understand that you don’t make the timeline, the virus makes the timeline,” Fauci told CNN Wednesday. “So you’ve got to respond, in what you see happen.”
White House counselor Kellyanne Conway said Trump developed the Easter date as a goal to give people “hope.”
“I 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,” she told reporters Thursday.
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.
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.
“Our expanded testing capabilities will quickly enable us to publish criteria, developed in close coordination with the Nation’s public health officials and scientists, to help classify counties with respect to continued risks posed by the virus,” Trump said.
Trump, appearing to allude to the forthcoming guidelines, promised that there would be new favorable “statistics” and “facts” coming from the federal government in the next two days.
“Some good statistics are coming out which will make your lives easier,” Trump said.

DON'T MISS

Trump Threatens to Impose Sweeping New Tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China

DON'T MISS

49ers QB Brock Purdy Resumes Throwing but Status for Bills Game Unknown

DON'T MISS

Madera Pharmacist Gets 7-Year Federal Sentence for Trafficking Opioids

DON'T MISS

Fresno Set to Roll Out Mental Health CARE Court. How Will It Work?

DON'T MISS

Stock Market Today: Dow Hits Another Record as Stocks Rise

DON'T MISS

Judge in LA Delays Until January Decision on Resentencing Menendez Brothers

DON'T MISS

CHP Launches Thanksgiving Maximum Enforcement to Promote Safe Driving

DON'T MISS

Workers at Charlotte Airport, an American Airlines Hub, Strike During Thanksgiving Travel Week

DON'T MISS

Judge Rejects Request to Sideline a San Jose State Volleyball Player on Grounds She’s Transgender

DON'T MISS

What to Know About the Fresno State Grad Who Is Trump’s Pick for Labor Secretary

UP NEXT

NATO Head and Trump Meet in Florida for Talks on Global Security

UP NEXT

Tulare County Man Arrested After Allegedly Threatening to Kill Middle School Girls, Staff

UP NEXT

Northern California Gets Record Rain and Heavy Snow. Many Have Been in the Dark for Days in Seattle

UP NEXT

What Will Happen to CNBC and MSNBC When They No Longer Have a Corporate Connection to NBC News?

UP NEXT

Bomb Cyclone Kills 1 and Knocks Out Power to Over Half a Million Homes Across the Northwest US

UP NEXT

Volunteers Came Back to Nonprofits in 2023, After the Pandemic Tanked Participation

UP NEXT

New Study: Proposed Trump Tariffs Could Cost US Consumers $78 Billion a Year

UP NEXT

Riders Stuck in Midair for Over 2 Hours on Knott’s Berry Farm Ride

UP NEXT

Shouting Racial Slurs, Neo-Nazi Marchers Shock Ohio’s Capital

UP NEXT

More Logging Is Proposed to Help Curb Wildfires in the US Pacific Northwest

Fresno Set to Roll Out Mental Health CARE Court. How Will It Work?

3 hours ago

Stock Market Today: Dow Hits Another Record as Stocks Rise

3 hours ago

Judge in LA Delays Until January Decision on Resentencing Menendez Brothers

3 hours ago

CHP Launches Thanksgiving Maximum Enforcement to Promote Safe Driving

3 hours ago

Workers at Charlotte Airport, an American Airlines Hub, Strike During Thanksgiving Travel Week

3 hours ago

Judge Rejects Request to Sideline a San Jose State Volleyball Player on Grounds She’s Transgender

4 hours ago

What to Know About the Fresno State Grad Who Is Trump’s Pick for Labor Secretary

5 hours ago

Trump Victory Will Lead to New Battles in California’s ‘Water Wars’

6 hours ago

Madera Man Sentenced on Firearms Charges Following Jan. 6 Capitol Breach Conviction

6 hours ago

Community Unites at Fourth Annual One Table Fresno Event, Serving Thousands

7 hours ago

Trump Threatens to Impose Sweeping New Tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China

NEW YORK — President-elect Donald Trump is threatening to impose sweeping new tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China as soon as he takes office...

2 hours ago

2 hours ago

Trump Threatens to Impose Sweeping New Tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China

2 hours ago

49ers QB Brock Purdy Resumes Throwing but Status for Bills Game Unknown

Picture of Oxycodone bottles and pills
2 hours ago

Madera Pharmacist Gets 7-Year Federal Sentence for Trafficking Opioids

3 hours ago

Fresno Set to Roll Out Mental Health CARE Court. How Will It Work?

3 hours ago

Stock Market Today: Dow Hits Another Record as Stocks Rise

3 hours ago

Judge in LA Delays Until January Decision on Resentencing Menendez Brothers

3 hours ago

CHP Launches Thanksgiving Maximum Enforcement to Promote Safe Driving

An airplane arrives at Charlotte Douglas International Airport as airport workers strike in front of the Charlotte Douglas International Airport in Charlotte, N.C., Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. (AP/Nell Redmond)
3 hours ago

Workers at Charlotte Airport, an American Airlines Hub, Strike During Thanksgiving Travel Week

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend