White House Ordered Changes to CDC Coronavirus Guidelines

On May 22, 2020, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) published a guidance document containing "suggestions for faith communities to consider . . . in the course of preparing to reconvene for in-person gatherings while still working to prevent the spread of COVID-19." The published document warned that "[t]he act of singing may contribute to transmission of COVID-19, possibly through emission of aerosols," and thus recommended that faith communities "consider suspending or at least decreasing use of choir/musical ensembles and congregant singing." The reference to choirs and singing was omitted from an updated version of the document, published by the CDC on May 23, 2020. White House officials reportedly ordered the CDC to delete the reference because they "did not want to alienate the evangelical community" and believed "there were too many restrictions on choirs."

Update:

On October 15, 2020, the Wall Street Journal reported on a previously undocumented Oval Office meeting in May 2020 in which Robert Redfield was reportedly pressured by President Trump and other White House officials to “declare houses of worship essential and allow them to reopen.” The officials pressured Redfield to remove language in the CDC’s church guidance which recommended suspending choirs, shared cups, and collection plates. Redfield reportedly agreed to the edits in the meeting, but the church guidelines were subsequently published without the edits. This resulted in a string of telephone calls between the president, Redfield, and Redfield’s aides to ameliorate the issue. The CDC updated it’s guidance the next day to incorporate the edits suggested in the Oval Office meeting.