Hundreds of health groups petition against Trump

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Hundreds of health groups petition against Trump
The leaders of public health authorities and activist groups come together to defend the CDC and demand an end to political interference.
By ADAM CANCRYN
07/07/2020 05:00 AM EDT


Frustrated by President Donald Trump’s handling of the coronavirus response, major public health organizations are mounting a widespread defense of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention over worries the administration is sidelining its own experts and undermining trust in public health officials across the country.

The nearly 350 public health organizations, advocacy groups and local health departments are urging Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar — who has fallen in lockstep with the White House on key markers of the coronavirus response — to play a more prominent role in shielding the CDC from political interference.

“CDC continues to be the world’s premiere public health institution and should be treated as such during this pandemic,” the groups wrote in a letter on Tuesday. “We must amplify the unfettered voice of CDC, not stifle it.”

The missive comes amid growing alarm within the public health community over the damage done by Trump’s dismissals of the pandemic threat, including his refusal to endorse basic measures like mask-wearing and his insistence that the coronavirus will vanish even as cases continue to surge. At the same time, the administration has largely relegated the CDC to the background, clamped down on health officials’ public appearances and overruled key guidance for safely reopening parts of the economy.

The letter signifies the deepening divide between top federal officials leading the coronavirus response and the local officials on the front lines — a split that state and local officials told POLITICO has reached new depths nearly six months into the crisis.

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https://www.politico.com/news/2020/07/07/hundreds-health-groups-petition-trump-350154