'Science should not stand in the way' of schools reopening: White House
Iran Press TV
Friday, 17 July 2020 12:30 AM
The White House says that "science should not stand in the way" of schools reopening, as the coronavirus pandemic continues unabated across the United States.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany emphasized that schools reopening this fall should not be contingent on science pertaining to the virus, but then claimed the "science is on our side here."
When asked about what President Donald Trump would tell parents who have children in school districts that may be online-only, McEnany said, "The president has said unmistakably that he wants schools to open. And when he says open, he means open in full, kids been able to attend each and every day at their school."
She went on to say that "the science should not stand in the way of this," noting it is "perfectly safe" to fully reopen all classrooms.
She also claimed "science is on our side," citing one study that said critical illness is less risky than the seasonal flu in children.
She then quoted former Stanford Neuroradiology Chief Dr. Scott Atlas, who once on Fox News described the debate around reopening schools as "hysteria."
"We encourage localities and states to just simply follow the science, open our schools," she continued.
The Trump administration has been trying to reopen schools under the premise that children under the age of 18 "are at very low risk" if they get infected with the virus.
Some experts, however, have warned that returning to classrooms might be dangerous as students could carry the virus home to older relatives.
Meanwhile, the leading US expert on infectious diseases, Dr. Anthony Fauci, on Thursday urged younger people to continue social distancing and other measures to stem the virus.
"Please assume the societal responsibility of being part of the solution, not part of the problem," he said in a live interview with Facebook Inc Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg.
His remarks came as new coronavirus cases in the US have soared to over 65,000 a day from daily totals under 20,000 in May.
Fauci said the median age of those tested positive has fallen by about 15 years as younger people, many of whom may show few symptoms of illness, are being infected.
He warned that even asymptomatic people can spread the virus to others, increasing the possibility that it could affect a more vulnerable person.
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