Official: White House Didn't Want to Tell Seniors Not to Fly

An anonymous federal official said the White House overruled health officials who wanted to recommend that seniors and physically fragile Americans avoid flying on commercial airlines because of the coronavirus, reports the Associated Press . Katie Miller, press secretary for Vice President Mike Pence, disputed the anonymous source's account, while director of infectious diseases at the National Institutes of Health Anthony Fauci insisted that "no one overruled anybody." According to the source, though, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) submitted the recommendation as part of a larger effort to try and contain the virus, but Trump administration officials allegedly ordered it to be rescinded. Officials have since suggested certain people should consider not traveling. Indeed, the CDC on March 6 updated its website to advise older adults and people with severe medical conditions to "stay home as much as possible" and avoid crowds.