Dems against guidelines by county
They say more testing needed before social distancing relaxed
More than a dozen Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives are calling on President Trump not to pursue his effort to have county specific social distancing guidelines. The effort is being led by California Representatives T.J. Cox and Norma Torres.
At the end of March, the President sent a letter to governors on a plan to classify counties based on risk factors. Counties would be classified as high risk, medium risk or low risk when it comes to the coronavirus.
The idea is for local authorities to decide if social distancing guidelines can be relaxed or strengthened if needed. The President wants to provide these guidelines as a way to jump start the economy.
But Democratic Congress members state low income and rural communities that lack access to coronavirus testing could be wrongly classified.
“Our country does not presently have the testing infrastructure to accurately gauge the prevalence of COVID-19,” the letter from the Democratic Congress members state. “Determining a risk classification based on insufficient testing could have a devastating impact on our national efforts to combat this disease, and in particular, on low-income and rural communities,”
The letter is address to the President and public health officials in his ad
ministration.
In his letter, the President stated counties would be classified based on “robust surveillance testing.” But there’s the concern scaling back social distancing measures in areas that don’t know they have an outbreak because of a lack of testing could further spread COVID-19.
There’s also the concern areas that seem fine but then development a problem weeks later could also be wrongly classified.
Cox said the administration can’t use “incomplete and inaccurate data in matters of life or death.” He added the President should “commit to, at the very least, widespread testing access, before implementing a system.”
“We need tests, not county classifications, and the fact that this president is trying to ease social distancing guidance without the data to support his claims should alarm every single American,” Torres said.
Torres said testing in low-income and rural areas is “already stretched thin.”
The Representatives who sent the letter represent areas with large low-income and minority populations. They also noted many of their constituents have pre-existing health issues which complicates coronavirus cases being counted accurately.
The Representatives also stated many low income people don’t seek out testing because they’re afraid of additional medical costs, especially in they’re uninsured. They added many in rural areas don’t have easy access to testing.
“Our country does not presently have the testing infrastructure to accurately gauge the prevalence of COVID-19,” Cox stated. “Determining a risk classification based on insufficient testing could have a devastating impact on our national efforts to combat this disease, and in particular, on low-income and rural communities.”
On Monday, the President said he would decide whento relax the social distancing guidelins, although its unclear how he would do so since public health and safety is the domain of local authorities.
On Twitter on Monday, the President stated some are “saying that it is the Governors decision to open up the states, not that of the President of the United States & the Federal Government. Let it be fully understood that this is incorrect...it is the decision of the President, and for many good reasons.
“With that being said, the Administration and I are working closely with the Governors, and this will continue. A decision by me, in conjunction with the Governors and input from others, will be made shortly!”
Federal officials have been working on expanding the availability of testing that could show whether someone has the virus or has antibodies indicating they’ve recovered and may be immune, which is considered an important step to easing social distancing guidelines.
Vice President Mike Pence said approval for antibody tests to determine who has had the coronavirus and recovered is expected later this week.
The President promised to announce today a task force of state and local officials, business executives, economists and health officials on how to reopen businesses .
Dr. Anthony Fauci has said the economy in parts of the country could have a “rolling reentry” as soon as next month.