Slowing the Coronavirus Spread: President Trump Presents New Guidelines for Next 15 Days

President Donald Trump outlined new guidelines for Americans to follow for 15 days in order to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus outbreak, according to his remarks at Monday’s White House Coronavirus Task Force press briefing.

The White House is now recommending that people stay home when possible, including young and healthy people. Schooling and working from home are among the recommendations. Groups of 10 or more should be avoided as should discretionary travel and eating and drinking at bars, restaurants, and public food courts, he said.

Toward the end of the briefing, Anthony Fauci, MD, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease at the National Institutes of Health, added that in “small print” on the guidelines, “In states with evidence of community transmission, bars, restaurants, food courts, gyms, and other indoor and outdoor venues where groups of people congregate, should be closed.”

Trump clarified that so far that is a recommendation, but not an order.

“It’s important for the young and healthy people to understand that while they may experience milder symptoms, they can easily spread this virus, and they will spread it indeed, putting countless others in harm’s way,” Trump said. “We especially worry about our senior citizens.”

The coronavirus outbreak will slow, Trump added, “with several weeks of focused action.”

Coronavirus response coordinator Deborah Birx, MD, also appealed to millennials, reminding them that even gatherings in the home should be limited to less than 10 people.

“We really want people to be separated at this time, to be able to address this virus comprehensively that we cannot see, for which we don’t have a vaccine or a therapeutic,” Birx said. “The only thing we have right now is the amazing ingenuity and compassion of the American people.”

The White House released these guidelines in a digestible PDF format, which can be viewed here. Among the guidelines are suggestions such as:

• Follow the guidance of state and local authorities
• Stay home if you feel sick; contact your medical provider.
• If children in your care are sick, do not send them to school and contact your medical provider.
• If someone in your household has tested positive for coronavirus, quarantine the entire household and contact your medical provider.
• If a person has serious underlying medical conditions that could increase their risk for coronavirus, they should quarantine themselves.

The guidelines also acknowledge how to slow the spread of coronavirus, including:

• Staying home when possible, including schooling and working from home. However, those who work in “a critical infrastructure industry,” are responsible for maintaining their normal work schedules as outlined by the CDC and Department of Homeland Security.
• Avoid social gatherings of 10 or more people; use drivethru, pickup, or delivery options to avoid bars, restaurants and food courts.
• Avoid discretionary travel, including shopping trips and social visits
• Do not visit nursing homes, retirement homes, or longterm care facilities unless you are providing critical assistance
• Practice good hygiene, including washing hands, avoiding touching your face, sneezing/coughing into a tissue or the inside of your elbow, and disinfect frequently touched surfaces as much as possible.

“Take a look at the guidelines,” Fauci urged. “Read them carefully. And we hope that the people of the United States will take them very seriously, because they will fail if people don’t adhere to them. We have to have, as a whole country, cooperate and collaborate to make sure these get done.”