Trump again presses schools to reopen, promises 125 million masks
U.S. President Donald Trump is repeating his call for the nation's schools to reopen, and has again pressed Congress to steer future coronavirus funding away from schools that stay closed this fall.
Trump made the remarks on Wednesday at a White House discussion with parents, teachers and doctors who said they support a full return to the classroom.
Also joining Trump were Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and Vice President Mike Pence, who said the health risks tied to keeping children at home are greater than those associated with the coronavirus.
Trump has repeatedly pushed for schools to reopen, saying there are low risks to young people from the virus, even as teachers and public health experts have raised alarms about whether it could be done safely.
Fifty-nine percent of voters oppose the call for schools and colleges to fully open, according to a new Politico/Morning Consult poll, up from 53 percent last month.
Bloomberg reported on Thursday that many schools that followed the president's advice to reopen fully are now seeing hundreds of students, staff and teachers put into quarantine. Despite Trump's efforts, most of the country's largest school districts have said they would start the school year with online classes.
Speaking at a White House briefing earlier on Wednesday, Trump released eight recommendations for reopening U.S. schools, including that masks be used when social distancing is not possible.
He said the federal government would provide 125 million reusable masks to school districts around the country.
"We got to open up. We got to open up our schools and open up our businesses," Trump told reporters at the briefing. "And a lot of it has been opened. But we can do better."
