We reported on Wednesday that the CDC was about to release guidelines suggesting that fully vaccinated people could gather in small groups indoors, another indication of a movement back to normality.

.@NBCNews: The CDC is set to release new guidelines on Thursday for Americans who have been fully vaccinated that say it’s OK for them to gather in small groups indoors with other people who have also been fully vaccinated, without wearing masks.

— Steve Kopack (@SteveKopack) March 2, 2021

But apparently, that was too much for the Biden team, according to Politico. The White House has intervened and has told the CDC to “hold off on releasing” their announcement, without any declared reason as to why.

After a series of meetings and calls with senior officials on the White House’s Covid-19 task force and the Department of Health and Human Services over the last two days, the CDC was told to “hold off on releasing” the recommendations, one of those sources said.

One official suggested that the guidelines were still being finalized.

The CDC had prepared them over the past few weeks and a draft had already been circulated, the plan being to sign off on them on Wednesday.

Now, after the White House intervention, the CDC has announced things are not finalized.

“CDC’s guidance will not be posted tomorrow because we have not finalized it here at CDC. Once it is final, we will publish and disseminate it,” spokesperson Jason McDonald said.

But despite the appearance of it and Politico’s own reporting on it, this line in their story was something else. “There is no evidence to suggest that the Biden White House is trying to suppress the CDC guidelines or override the judgement of CDC scientists.”

Politico then tried to spin the Biden team’s actions by saying that President Donald Trump cut the CDC out of discussions. Talk about a “whataboutism.”

Bottom line? It was announced it was coming and now suddenly it isn’t. Thanks for reporting that the White House said to hold off, but maybe you should also be asking their rationale to apparently overrule the CDC or tell them to hold off? Isn’t it supposed to be about science first?

Does it have anything to do with the fact that Biden and the Democrats have a huge pork-zilla relief bill that they still want to get passed and if things appear too normal too fast, it might be harder to get it passed?

Some saw politics all over the move.

"After a series of meetings and calls…CDC was told to “hold off on releasing” the recommendations…The reason is still unclear…"

LOLOLOLOLOL.

The reason IS clear: POLITICS.

The White House is playing politics with the CDC. https://t.co/2Bd08QgvEm

— Pradheep J. Shanker (@Neoavatara) March 4, 2021

The entire point of ‘depoliticized’ CDC is they don’t have interference from President or Congress.

THIS IS INTERFERENCE.

They clearly were going to release the recommendations (I know this for a fact). The political wing stopped them.

That is the DEFINITION OF INTERFERENCE.

— Pradheep J. Shanker (@Neoavatara) March 4, 2021

HT: Twitchy