On Thursday, six flow charts were released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). These brief guides showed how several establishments such as schools and other non-essentials could determine when they can reopen during the global pandemic.
The brief guidelines were released after the agency's first comprehensive drafts were sent back by the White House.
Easy guide to reopening
According to the New York Times, the decision charts consist of mostly essential tips that act as a checklist for businesses to consider before reopening. The slide for restaurants shows if establishments should consider reopening, and if so, what necessary steps they can take to ensure that their facilities are safe to be open to the public.
The released guidance came after several back-and-forth altercations between the CDC and the White House as the administration sent the original recommendations back to the agency.
The reason for rejection was that the initial guidelines were too detailed, while the density of positive infections can vary significantly from area to area. According to several federal agencies, the first drafts could have negative impacts on businesses and the economy as a whole.
Religious establishments, however, were not included in the six decision trees that the CDC released on Thursday. The initial drafts required all participants to wear face masks as well as suspending all choir and music ensembles. The guidelines were too controversial for Trump administration officials.
Proper procedures are always advised
Former top US vaccine office Rick Bright, testified before a House panel on Thursday, saying, "We need to unleash the voices of the scientists in our public health system in the United States so they can be heard, and their guidances need to be listened to," also adding, "And we need to be able to convey that information to the American public, so they have the truth about the real risk and dire consequences of this virus," as reported by the Washingtonpost.
The statement comes with the fact that the six charts released by the CDC, which cover schools, workplaces, restaurants and bars, youth programs and camps, child care programs, and mass transit, all offer similar advice and protocols.
This shows the importance of what health experts have been stating since the early stages of the pandemic: the necessity of proper hygiene by proper washing of hands, maintaining sufficient social distancing, limiting contact with more vulnerable people, and the value of health monitoring.
While the charts are less detailed than the initial comprehensive guidelines, they include helpful diagrams that aid management heads to determine how they can ensure their establishment's safety and if they are doing the proper procedures to do so.
With the surge of unemployment in the US skyrocketing due to the closure of nearly all businesses, the easing of restriction in almost every state has had establishments scrambling to reopen. According to New York Times, since Thursday, there have been more than 36 million requests for benefits that have been filed for the last two months which is a first for the country, leaving more than 10% of all Americans jobless.
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