The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) could set requirements for the reopening of schools on Wednesday, President Biden said in an interview aired Sunday.
Biden told Norah O’Donnell of CBS in an interview aired in part before the Super Bowl that he believed “it’s time for schools to reopen safely,” after calling it an “emergency.” national “that about 20 million American children have not been in one in the classroom for nearly a year.
“You have 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 scientific judgment in my opinion, as early as Wednesday, to establish what the minimum requirements are. “
When O’Donnell said it’s “so hard for kids not to play sports now,” the president replied, “It really is.”
“I think about the price that many of my grandchildren and your children will pay for not having had a chance to finish whatever it was,” he said. “That graduation in which you didn’t get to walk around the stage. I think a lot of things happen, these kids. ”
“I think it’s time for schools to reopen safely,” Pres said. Explain Biden @NorahODonnell.
In addition to smaller class sizes and reworked ventilation, Pres. Biden says the CDC director Rochelle WalenskyRochelle Gov. WalenskyMaine warns against Super Bowl parties Republicans are looking to beat Democrats in reopening schools. CDC says schools are safe, but Biden continues to ignore science, MORE doctors will set 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 face-to-face instruction, which is widely considered more effective for learning, or to keep learning remote, as the coronavirus continues to spread across the United States.
Biden had promised to reopen schools during his first 100 days as president, but that goal could face hurdles as the new COVID-19 strains that are believed to be most contagious circulate across the country.
Teacher unions and school districts disagree on whether current plans are safe for children and staff to return to face-to-face learning, particularly in Chicago and Minneapolis, with some pushing for stronger vaccination plans.
CDC principal Rochelle Welensky said last week that vaccinating teachers “is not a prerequisite for the safe reopening of schools.
The United States is approaching 27 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 and has claimed more than 463,000 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.