Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), is weighing in on the possibility of reopening schools in the fall.
During his video conference with Sen. Doug Jones (D-Ala.) on Tuesday, Fauci was asked about schools possibly reopening over the next few weeks.
Fauci did admit that he believes children need to return to school due to the “ripple effects” of unintended consequences that may also outweigh the health risks. However, he also urged caution considering the results of current reopening plans.
He noted that each community will likely be faced with a different scenario depending on the type of infection rates they have. How local officials plan for the upcoming school year will be contingent on the coronavirus statistics in their area.
“The bottom line is that it’s not gonna be one-size-fits-all. It’s gonna be what the level of penetrance is in any given community,” he said.
See Fauci’s remarks below:
https://www.facebook.com/senatordougjones/videos/913960105743145/
Despite Fauci’s concerns and the uptick in coronavirus cases and infections among younger Americans, U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has assailed preliminary plans being crafted by local officials considering hybrid alternatives to full, in-class attendance for schools.
DeVos insists schools must be “fully operational” despite the ongoing pandemic.
“Ultimately, it’s not a matter of if schools need to open, it’s a matter of how. School must reopen, they must be fully operational. And how that happens is best left to education and community leaders,” DeVos said.
Fauci’s latest remarks on schools reopening follow President Donald Trump and Republican lawmakers’ criticism of his professional advice on the coronavirus.
Sen. Rand Paul has scrutinized Fauci’s recommendations on multiple occasions, but the top infectious disease expert’s stance hasn’t changed.
During a hearing with the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, Fauci acknowledged Paul’s frustration and admitted he, too, feels “very strongly” about schools reopening.
“I feel very strongly we need to do whatever we can to get the children back to school,” Fauci said. “So I think we are in locked agreement with that.”
However, he also urged caution based on the country’s exhibited difficulty in containing the virus.
During the same hearing, Fauci also said, “We are now having 40-plus thousand new cases a day. I would not be surprised if we go up to 100,000 a day if this does not turn around and so I am very concerned.”
As of Tuesday afternoon, there are more than three million known COVID-19 cases across the United States.
