CDC releases edited coronavirus reopening guidance

U.S. health officials on Thursday released some of their long-delayed guidance that schools, businesses and other organizations can use as states reopen from coronavirus shutdowns.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posted six that use traffic signs and other graphics to tell organizations what they should consider before reopening.

The tools are for schools, workplaces, camps, childcare centers, mass transit systems, and bars and restaurants. The CDC originally also authored a document for churches and other religious facilities, but that wasn't posted Thursday. The agency declined to say why.

"There is no decision tree for religious facilities that's been controversial. We've learned from our reporting that there have been people in the Trump administration who have concerns about presenting ...something to religious organizations," said Associated press reporter MIke Stobbe.

Early versions of the documents included detailed information for churches wanting to restart in-person services, with suggestions including maintaining distance between parishioners and limiting the size of gatherings.

The faith-related guidance was taken out after the White House raised concerns about the recommended restrictions, according to government emails obtained by the AP and a person inside the agency who didn't have permission to talk with reporters and spoke on condition of anonymity.

On Thursday, a Trump administration official also speaking on condition of anonymity said there were concerns about the propriety of the government making specific dictates to places of worship.

The CDC drafted the guidance more than a month ago and it was initially shelved by the Trump administration, The Associated Press reported last week.

"There are some differences. They've been pared down a little bit. There's a few things that have been removed."

The agency also had prepared even more extensive guidance — about 57 pages of it — that has not been posted.

Stobbe said: It's a good entry document. It seems like the kind of thing you'd put in the executive summary page and then maybe have three more pages or four more pages of things that different organizations should consider and implement. We just have the one page so far."