The Trump administration is working on new guidelines for state and local governments to use when making decisions about "maintaining, increasing or relaxing social distancing and other mitigation measures" amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a March 26 letter addressed to U.S. governors from the president.
The new guidelines are driven by the shared desire many Americans have to resume normal economic, social and religious lives, President Donald Trump wrote. Officials are collecting data from COVID-19 tests that will help the administration categorize counties by high, medium or low risk, according to the letter.
The data will help determine "the next phase" of the national response, according to the letter. As data is gathered, the administration will track and isolate cases to prevent further spread of the virus, the president wrote.
More articles on public health:
Is ventilator-sharing a good idea? Pulmonology experts weigh in
'We're going to be coding dead people': Hospitals consider do-not-resuscitate order for all COVID-19 patients
COVID-19 vs. SARS: How the outbreaks compare