Task Force Report Says 18 States Should Roll Back Reopening
Task Force Report Says 18 States Should Roll Back Reopening

Task Force Report Says 18 States Should Roll Back Reopening The 359-page, unpublished document was created for the White House coronavirus task force led by Vice President Mike Pence.

It refers to a "red zone," defined as "those core-based statistical areas and counties ..." "... that during the last week reported both new cases above 100 per 100,000 population, and a diagnostic test positivity result above 10%." The 18 states in the red zone are Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nevada, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Utah.

For red zone states, the report makes several recommendations, including wearing masks in public and continued social distancing measures.

It also recommends that bars and gyms are closed, and that social gatherings are limited to "10 people or fewer." These recommendations equate to a reversal of states reopening.

In the red zone state of Georgia, Republican Governor Brian Kemp has sued the city of Atlanta for requiring face masks in public.

The report refers to Georgia specifically, recommending that the state "mandate statewide wearing of cloth face coverings outside the home."