More than a dozen California House Democrats are urging President Donald Trump not to rescind social distancing guidelines for specific counties across the country.
The group, led by Reps. Norma Torres (D-Calif.) and TJ Cox (D-Calif.), issued a letter addressed to the president and his public health experts on the Coronavirus Task Force. According to The Hill, the letter was in response to Trump’s March 27 letter to governors which suggested reopening the economy in counties based on statistics and risk factors.
While the president previously extended social distancing measures until April 30, he and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has revisited the possibility of reopening some critical sectors of the economy.
Amid the latest discussion to loosen social guidelines for some who have been exposed to the virus, the group has opted to voice their concerns.
They wrote in a letter:
“Our country does not presently have the testing infrastructure to accurately gauge the prevalence of COVID-19. 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.”
Torres has taken to social media to share her opinion of Trump’s recent considerations mentioned during Wednesday’s White House Coronavirus Task Force briefing.
Although the economic downturn will have great impacts on the country, Torres argues that tests and data to support the decreased risk factors should be the top priority.
“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,” she wrote on Facebook.
Torres went on to cite concerns and potential problems that could arise and ultimately “undermine our ability to combat coronavirus,” she wrote.
“Not only will the Administration’s plan undermine our ability to combat coronavirus, but it does so in a way that will specifically harm some of the most vulnerable among us.”
The California lawmaker concluded saying, “President Trump should stop trying to erode the one policy that can keep Americans safe right now, and focus his efforts on getting more tests, personal protective equipment, and medical support to the people who desperately need them.”
See Torres’ Facebook remarks below:
As of Thursday morning, there are more than 19,000 coronavirus cases across the state of California.