By Brittney Ajaj
Correspondent
Backlash against CDC for guidance mishap
The coronavirus guidelines published by the CDC have triggered public backlash. Aside from the information released on May 22, the White House condemned the CDC over its response to the virus, according to Fox News, also shelving a 17-page report on guidelines for reopening the country.
Recently, White House trade adviser Peter Navarro criticized the CDC when coronavirus tests came to testing sites as defective, resulting in inconclusive results. According to CNN, he said the CDC “‘really let the country down.’”
Although Donald Trump supposedly excoriated the CDC in private to Republican senators, according to CNN, he did not vocalize this opinion publicly. Trump praised the agency’s director, Dr. Robert Redfield, to the public. Trump recognized the “‘great talent’” of the CDC, saying that Redfield “‘has done a very good job’” with leading the agency and the crisis response, according to CNN.
New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania announce reopening plans
In a local and very positive light, according to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, parts of New York City are expected to enter the third phase of reopening by mid June. Along with this, Cuomo announced that the state has reached its lowest number of hospitalizations and deaths since the pandemic began hitting the state.
New Jersey also has plans to open in-person graduations, according to USA Today. Although the celebrations will be socially-distanced starting on July 6, graduates will be able to celebrate their accomplishments. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy felt comfortable to allow for graduations, stating, “‘the reports from across our state were overwhelmingly positive,’” according to NBC10 Philadelphia. The College’s graduation plans, however, are still up in the air, with no word yet from College President Kathryn Foster on specific plans for an in-person graduation ceremony.
In addition, Governor Murphy has also signed an executive order to allow child care centers to reopen on June 15 and youth summer camps to reopen on July 6. Murphy revealed on June 1 that outdoor dining and non-essential retail can reopen at 50 percent capacity on June 15, with hair salons and other personal care businesses opening on June 22, according to NBC4.
Pennsylvania has been using phases in colors — red, yellow and green — to begin their reopening plan. Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf plans to lift most restrictions, along with schools reopening in the fall, as well, according to Lehigh Valley Live. Wolf said that Pennsylvania “‘cannot do another lockdown.’”
