The White House has a new adviser for official coronavirus
approaches at the federal level, and lots of people aren’t happy about it,
including news media and other members of the coronavirus task force, primarily
because he doesn’t align with all the recommendations the force has been
making.
“Dr. Scott W. Atlas has argued that the science of mask
wearing is uncertain, that children cannot pass on the coronavirus and that the
role of the government is not to stamp out the virus but to protect its most
vulnerable citizens as Covid-19 takes its course,” The New York Times says.
Most recently, Atlas pushed the CDC to reconsider testing
asymptomatic persons for the virus, even if they were exposed to someone
infected with it — which would be a direct impediment to the contact tracing
which many states have already implemented.
The Times called out Atlas’ task force appointment for his
“frequent appearances on Fox News Channel” and for being “neither an
epidemiologist nor an infectious disease expert, the two jobs usually
associated with pandemic response.”
On the flip side, the White House is accusing the media of
deliberating distorting and diminishing Atlas’ record.
SOURCE: The
New York Times September 2, 2020