CDC says it will not revise school reopening guidelines

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or CDC says it will not revise school reopening guidelines this fall. However, it will add new ones.

CDC does not have plans to alter its original recommendations that President Donald Trump described as tough and costly, based on CDC Director Robert Redfield's statement.

In an interview on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” Redfield pointed out that the new documents are not easing the CDC’s original recommendations. The agency will give more information for care givers, communities, and schools on how to pursue reopening safely.

Vice President Mike Pence hinted on Wednesday that CDC would relax its school reopening guidelines. However, Redfield stressed there would be no changes on their guidance.

“It’s not a revision of the guidelines, it’s just to provide additional information to help schools be able to use the guidance that we put forward,” Redfield said.

CDC's current guidance covers social distancing rules, which some claimed as hard to practice in a school setting.

Funding

Trump threatens to slash funding if schools do not reopen amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to his tweet on Wednesday.

After his announcement, he went on slamming his own administration’s health guidelines for reopening schools. He describes them as impractical.

“We can’t reopen the economy without reopening schools, and we can’t reopen schools without the resources to do so safely,” said Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, which sponsored the ad campaign.

“Donald Trump and Betsy DeVos demanding schools reopen but failing to produce a plan or the resources required is not doing what kids and educators need,” Weingarten said.

Pence noted that CDC will “be issuing five new documents.” These documents cover new guidelines on how communities can prepare for school reopenings, “decision making tools for parents and caregivers,” and “symptom screening considerations” for students and teachers.

“As the president said today, we just don’t want the guidance to be too tough,” Pence told reporters. “That’s why the CDC will be issuing more guidance going forward, because we know each school system has unique capabilities and different facilities.”

Reopening schools

Reopening schools is deemed an instrument in helping the American economy recover from job losses and other damages brought by the coronavirus outbreak.

There are over 50 million students in the US, and the closure of schools and daycare centers in March and April forced parents to teach and do their jobs at the same time.

However, as coronavirus cases continue to multiply in the US, parents and educators are worried about making in-person school safe enough for children and teachers.

Redfield stressed that the guidelines are not requirements. He said the CDC aims work with schools and districts to design customized procedures that work for them while keeping safety as top priority.

Redfield noted that the guidelines must not be used as a rationale to keep schools closed.

“The purpose of those guidance is to help local jurisdictions open their schools,” Redfield said. “It’s not a question of open their schools versus public health. My position is the public health of the students of this nation is best served by getting schools reopened.”