It is heartbreaking to watch @CDCDirector Robert Redfield turn a great public health institution @CDCgov into a political propaganda tool. I feel dreadful for the thousands of talented, devoted professionals under his direction.

Today President Trump tweeted this:

In response, @CDCDirector Redfield undermined his own agency's position, promising to go back and issue new, politically expedient recommendations.

This is the exact opposite of public health leadership.

https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2020-07-08/trump-says-may-cut-off-funding-if-us-schools-do-not-open

The would be craven cowardice from any agency director, but from the @CDCDirector with thousands of lives at stake, this obsequiousness servility is criminal.

This is the same man who lectured us on personal responsibility three days ago. https://twitter.com/CT_Bergstrom/status/1279859612993245184

If you believe a word that you've said, @CDCDirector Redfield, take personal responsibility for what you are doing and for the recommendations that you are issuing.

Stand behind your agency, Director Redfield.

Stand up for American lives and stop serving as a political tool.

This video, if one can stand to watch it, speaks volumes about Redfield's character. https://twitter.com/BolognaFishMD/status/1280910405913608193

What were these unacceptably stringent guidelines?

They were that schools *may consider* doing some completely obvious things.

Like staying home when appropriate.

Washing your hands and covering your face when you sneeze.

Suggesting cloth face coverings a.k.a. masks *as feasible*.

Providing soap.

Posting signs.

Opening windows *as possible*.

Spacing desks *when feasible*.

Install partitions (ok, that one involves significant effort and expense) and put tape on the floor.

Close communal spaces *if possible*.

Serve individually plated meals or have children bring food from home.

Protect high-risk individuals

Follow the f'n law

...and so on.

Remember, these aren't mandates. They're not requirements. They're not regulations.

They're not even things that schools "need to consider".

These minimal actions are those that the CDC thinks schools *may consider*.

So my remaining question at this point is how, @CDCDirector, do you even begin to water these guidelines down further without going full homeopathy on us?

If you want to read the current CDC guidelines—or rather, they call them "considerations"—they are here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/schools.html

To watch or read Redfield's remarks today, here: https://news.yahoo.com/cdc-director-redfield-says-agencys-182447640.html

I'm really struck by this remark from Redfield:

"I think it's critical, and it would be personally very disappointing to me and, I know, my agency if we saw that individuals were using these guidelines as a rationale for not reopening our schools."

A core role of the CDC is provide guidance about the steps that are necessary for public safety.

They've done that with the May 19th considerations, albeit in an already watered-down fashion.

To undermine those as Redfield did here is astonishing.

It is as if the CDC issued guidelines for safe reopening of cruise ships, and then Redfield held a press conference explaining that not all cruise lines were going to comply—and that he and his agency would be disappointed if people used this as a reason not to take a cruise.