The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) could set out requirements for schools to reopen as soon as possible on Wednesday, President Biden said in an interview aired Sunday.
Biden told CBS’s Norah O’Donnell in an interview that aired in part before the Super Bowl that he believed “it’s time for schools to reopen safely,” after calling it a “national emergency” affecting about 20 million American children. not in a class for almost a year.
“You need to have fewer people in the classroom,” he said. “You have to have ventilation systems that have been reworked. Our CDC commissioner will come out with a science-based judgment, I think on Wednesday, to indicate what the minimum requirements are. “
When O’Donnell said it’s “so hard kids can’t play sports right now,” the president replied, “Really.”
“I’m thinking about the price so many of my grandchildren and your kids will pay for not having the chance to finish whatever it was,” he said. “That diploma where you couldn’t walk on stage. I think they go through a lot, these children. “
“I think it’s time for schools to reopen safely,” said Pres. Biden explains @NorahODonnell.
In addition to smaller classes and revised ventilation, Pres. Biden says CDC director Rochelle WalenskyRochelle Walensky – Maine Governor Warns Against Super Bowl Parties Republicans Try to Pummel Democrats Over School Reopenings CDC Says Schools Are Safe But Biden Continues to Ignore Science, Doctors MORE will set out the minimum requirements for reopening as early as Wednesday. pic.twitter.com/62VDKoNuNH
– CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) February 7, 2021
Schools across the country are considering whether to reopen for in-person instruction, which is widely believed to be more effective for learning, or to keep learning from a distance as the coronavirus continues to spread across the US.
Biden had vowed to reopen schools within his first 100 days as president, but that goal could face obstacles as new COVID-19 strains believed to be more contagious circulate across the country.
Teacher unions and school districts disagree whether current plans are safe for children and staff to return to personal learning, particularly in Chicago and Minneapolis, with some pushing for stronger vaccination plans.
CDC director Rochelle Welensky said last week that vaccinating teachers “is not a prerequisite for the safe reopening of schools.
According to data from Johns Hopkins University, there have been nearly 27 million confirmed COVID-19 cases in the US and more than 463,000 deaths.