WASHINGTON _ The White House on Monday urged people not to gather in groups of more than 10 people in an evolving scramble to slow the spread of COVID-19.
The guidance was issued less than 24 hours after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that gatherings of more than 50 people be canceled over the next eight weeks. The stronger recommendations come as more state and local officials are seeking to keep people at home in the coming weeks by ordering restaurants, bars and gyms to close.
The White House guidelines, which also recommend that people avoid going to restaurants or bars and that people work or engage in schoolwork from home whenever possible, are intended to hold for the next 15 days as officials seek to control the pandemic.
Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, said officials have been closely following models, including from groups in the United Kingdom, that showed that social distancing and staying in small groups is most effective for containing the virus.
"The most important thing was if one person in the household became infected, the whole household self-quarantine for 14 days," she said.
The administration is urging people not to visit nursing homes or long-term care facilities, where residents appear at higher risk for contracting the virus, in the next 15 days.
Officials also encouraged people to avoid discretionary travel, shopping trips and social visits.
During a press briefing, President Donald Trump said the administration is not yet instituting stronger guidance, such as ordering people to stay home or setting a national curfew. The administration hopes to avoid domestic travel restrictions, although they are "something that we talk about every day," he added.
