After President Donald Trump tweeted Wednesday that he disagreed with US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for safely reopening schools because they are “very tough” and “expensive,” the agency said it would issue new recommendations next week.
The move came as the Trump administration makes a concerted push for schools to reopen by the fall, even as cases surge in some parts of the country.
After Trump voiced displeasure at the CDC’s handling of the issue, the agency’s director said his recommendations shouldn’t be used as an excuse for not returning children to classrooms.
Instead, Dr. Robert Redfield and other members of the White House coronavirus task force said every effort must be made to bring students back to schools, suggesting doing otherwise would harm their health and development.
Trump has pushed to reopen schools as a way to allow parents to return to normal work, a step that could further fuel an economic resurgence.
On Wednesday morning, he also threatened he “may cut off funding” to schools that do not reopen, though the bulk of public school funding comes from state and local governments.
