Trump is 'comfortable' sending son Barron back to school this fall despite rising numbers in Covid-19 cases
Donald Trump has revealed that he is very comfortable in sending his youngest son Barron and 10 grandchildren back to school this fall despite the coronavirus onslaught plaguing the country now. Trump spoke at a press briefing on Wednesday, July 22, where he told reporters that he had a "national strategy" in place for school reopening in the US. Trump shared, "I am comfortable with that."
"We do have a national strategy but as you know ultimately it's up to the governors of the states. I think most governors, many governors, want the schools to open. I would like to see the schools open," Trump added.
He also revealed that he wanted schools to open "100 percent" even as coronavirus continues to hold the world in its grip. According to internal FEMA memos that were obtained by ABC News, the number of coronavirus cases in the US continues to rise steadily.
According to the publication, children between the ages of 12 and 17 seem to be getting infected at a much higher rate than younger children. Surgeon General Dr Jerome Adams revealed that schools should not reopen until the transmission rate begins to drop even as Trump threatened to withhold federal funding from them if they remained shut.
Adams said that young students are at low risk for coronavirus but it could very well put adults and teachers in danger when the transmission rate is high. "We know the risk is low to the actual students, but we know they can transmit to others," Adams said. "We need to take measures to make sure we protect those who are vulnerable either because they are older or they have chronic medical conditions," Adams continued.
Many social media users took to slamming Trump for his views on reopening schools this fall. One such user commented, "Thank you Dena! Yes it is not safe for teachers, staff or students! It will put their lives at risk!" Another user wrote, "It’s not even about endangering kids' lives - it’s a SuperSpreader! Mask wearing can’t be enforced (too many kids)! 1 unwitting parent without symptoms gives to kid (who has no symptoms)-who gives to many kids at school-who give to THEIR families...school is a super-spreader!!!"
A user also wrote, "I'm not going to do it! I won’t sacrifice my son because of 1 a**hole’s stupidity! They can throw me in jail but I will not do it!" According to an AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs poll, around one in 10 Americans believe that daycare centers, preschools, or K-12 should open this fall with no restrictions whatsoever.
However, a majority of people who took part believe that masks and other safety measures are very much required to restart in-person instructions. Three out of 10 revealed that children should not be taught in a classroom at all. According to data from the John Hopkins University, globally there have been around 15,231,967 confirmed cases of coronavirus so far. There have been a total of around 623,491 deaths across the world. The United States has an estimated 3,970,908 number of coronavirus cases so far with around 143,190 deaths.