WASHINGTON – Trump administration officials Wednesday defended a new recommendation that people without COVID-19 symptoms abstain from testing, even as scientists warned that the policy could hobble an already weak federal response as schools reopen and a potential autumn wave looms.
The day after the CDC issued the revised guidance, there were conflicting reports on who was responsible. Two federal health officials said the shift came as a directive to the Atlanta-based CDC from higher-ups in Washington at the White House and the Department of Health and Human Services.
Adm. Brett Giroir, the administration’s coronavirus testing czar, called it a “CDC action,” written with input from the agency’s director, Dr. Robert Redfield. But he acknowledged that the revision came after a vigorous debate among members of the White House coronavirus task force — including its newest member, Dr. Scott Atlas, a frequent Fox News guest and a special adviser to President Donald Trump. Continue reading.