WH COVID Task Force urges public health officials to skirt public policies if necessary to warn...

The White House Coronavirus Task Force urged public health officials to bypass public policies if necessary to warn about the rising COVID infection rates.

The Task Force wrote in a November 29 report, obtained by NBC News, that "the COVID risk to all Americans is at a historic high."

The report continued: "If state and local policies do not reflect the seriousness of the current situation, all public health officials must alert the state population directly."

The call to public health officials represents a significant escalation by the task force which also asked state and local officials to impose more stringent COVID-19 measures, including mask mandates and indoor dining restrictions.