Trump officials have asked US health agencies to temporarily suspend foreign communications, the Washington Post reports.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered federal health agencies to stop all external communications, such as health advisories, weekly scientific reports, website updates and social media posts, the Washington Post reported on Tuesday. Current and former officials and sources.

The guidance was issued on Tuesday to agencies within the Department of Health and Human Services, including officials from the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health, the newspaper reported. The agencies had no immediate comment.

Trump took office on Monday.

According to the Washington Post, it is not clear from the directive issued by the new administration that the directive will affect more urgent communications, such as foodborne diseases, drug approvals and new cases of bird flu.

Stephanie Spear, deputy director of the Department of Health and Human Services, ordered the agency’s staff to cease outside communications Tuesday morning, the newspaper reported.

Some officials cited by the newspaper said the move was aimed at helping newly installed Trump health officials understand the vast flow of information coming out of health agencies.