of bowing to political pressure from President Trump, who wants to minimize the number of cases of infection. Administration officials say the guidelines were the product of a vigorous debate in the White House coronavirus task force. In his statement, Dr. Redfield sought to explain: “Testing is meant to drive actions and achieve specific public health objectives. Public health experts say clear, consistent communications are essential to fighting an infectious disease outbreak, and in interviews several said that statements from the C.D.C. is clear, specific, directive guidance,” said Dr. Leana Wen, a former health commissioner of Baltimore.

Source: New York Times August 27, 2020 23:25 UTC