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Tuesday, Nov 17 2020

Full Issue

Michigan Restrictions In Spotlight As Atlas Draws Rebukes For 'Reckless' Remark

A tweet from White House coronavirus task force member Scott Atlas calling on Michigan residents to "rise up" against reinstated pandemic restrictions drew reactions from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Dr. Anthony Fauci and Stanford University, where Atlas is a fellow.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Monday she has the authority to issue a second stay-at-home order to curb the spiking coronavirus if necessary and called a comment by an adviser to President Donald Trump urging people to 鈥渞ise up鈥 against Michigan鈥檚 latest restrictions 鈥渋ncredibly reckless.鈥 The Democratic governor spoke with Capitol reporters a day after announcing limits amid a surge of COVID-19 cases that has led to increased hospitalizations and deaths. Other Midwest states are facing similar second waves as the weather cools, and she has urged the public to 鈥渄ouble down鈥 with precautions to avoid a shelter-in-place order like what was instituted in the spring. (Eggert, 11/16)

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Monday that she was stunned by a call from one of President Donald Trump鈥檚 top coronavirus advisers for people in her state to 鈥渞ise up鈥 against new restrictions aimed at slowing the disease鈥檚 deadly surge. 鈥淚t actually took my breath away, to tell you the truth,鈥 Whitmer told MSNBC鈥檚 鈥淢orning Joe,鈥 referring to a tweet posted over the weekend by Scott Atlas, whose skepticism toward Covid-19 mitigation strategies has been the subject of widespread criticism. (Forgey, 11/16)

Stanford University sought to distance itself Monday from Dr. Scott Atlas, a senior fellow at the university鈥檚 Hoover Institution and key member of President Trump鈥檚 coronavirus task force, a day after Atlas encouraged people to 鈥渞ise up鈥 in response to new pandemic-related restrictions implemented by Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. 鈥淒r. Atlas has expressed views that are inconsistent with the university鈥檚 approach in response to the pandemic,鈥 the university said in a statement. 鈥淒r. Atlas鈥檚 statements reflect his personal views, not those of the Hoover Institution or the university.鈥 (Williams, 11/16)

Anthony Fauci, the nation鈥檚 top infectious diseases expert, once again distanced himself from a doctor advising the president on COVID-19,聽saying he 鈥渢otally disagrees鈥 with Scott Atlas. Atlas, a聽neuroradiologist with no training in infectious diseases, has taken to Twitter in recent days to rail against closures of some businesses and high schools in Michigan in response to COVID-19. (Hellmann, 11/16)

More on the Michigan measures 鈥

Detroit officials Monday announced enforcement聽measures and additional protocol聽to the sweeping guidelines Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced Sunday in an effort to curb rapidly climbing COVID-19 cases across the state and region.聽"The Midwest is absolutely covered in COVID," Mayor Mike Duggan said.聽(Abdel-Baqui, 11/16)

This is part of the Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.
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