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Trump attacks his own CDC scientists over how to reopen schools safely - USA TODAY

Trump attacks his own CDC scientists over how to reopen schools safely - USA TODAY

Trump attacks his own CDC scientists over how to reopen schools safely - USA TODAY
Jul 10, 2020 2 mins, 19 secs

The President and the CDC disagree on the guidelines for reopening schools.

President Donald Trump’s attack on his own health experts’ guidance for safely reopening schools cracked open for public display a power struggle within the administration that has been building for months.

Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, speaks during the daily briefing of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, at the White House April 17, 2020 in Washington. (Photo: Alex Wong, Getty Images).

FAQ on CDC guidelines, federal funding for schools during coronavirus.

The start of a new school year comes as many states, especially in the Sunbelt region, confront a surge in coronavirus cases after reopening everything from restaurants to day camps.

Children have not been sickened by the new coronavirus as adults, yet spreading it remains a concern with reopening schools.

Instructor Amy Giang teaches a class of 4th-7th graders, wearing masks and spaced apart as per coronavirus guidelines, during summer school sessions at Happy Day School in Monterey Park, California on July 9, 2020.

- California Governor Gavin Newsom says the reopening of California schools for the coming school year will be based on safety and not pressure from President Donald Trump as California sets records for one-day increases in COVID-19 cases. (Photo: FREDERIC J. BROWN, AFP via Getty Images).

Vice President Mike Pence, who leads the White House coronavirus task force, said on Thursday new documents would be issued next week supplementing the original guidelines.

The White House did not respond to questions seeking clarity about how the supplemental documents, which have not yet been released, might impact the previous recommendations. The CDC pointed to Redfield’s comments in an interview with ABC on Thursday that the agency would “provide additional information to help the schools be able to use the guidance that we put forward.”.

USA TODAY has reported multiple instances since February in which CDC officials, at odds with the White House, felt pressured to bend public health guidance or ignore scientific evidence. 

The White House also has pushed for a return to the failed strategy of relying on temperature screenings to detect coronavirus infections in airlines passengers, despite the strong objections of CDC scientists. 

The politicized role of the CDC in the coronavirus pandemic prompted nearly 350 public health organizations to sign a letter last week asking Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar to affirm the agency’s role in providing evidence-based scientific guidance

The school guidance has been a touch point for Trump, who wants to bring students back to campuses

Marcus Plescia, chief medical officer for the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, noting public health experts share the president’s desire to resume classroom instruction safely. “We don’t want to reopen school and they have another setback and disaster.”

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