Rep. Rick Allen on the CDC’s School Reopening Guidance

Rep. Rick Allen (R-GA) released a statement in response to the CDC’s new guidance on school reopening. As The New York Times explains, the guidance states:

With proper mitigation, such as masking, physical distancing and hygiene, elementary schools can operate in person at any level of community virus transmission, the guidelines state.

The document says that middle and high schools can safely operate in person at all but the highest level of transmission, which is defined in two ways: when 10 percent or more of the coronavirus tests in a community come back positive over a seven-day period; or when there are 100 or more virus cases per 100,000 people in the community over seven days.

Middle and high schools may open at any level of community spread if they conduct weekly coronavirus testing of students and staff members. The agency also recommended that at higher levels of community spread, all schools reduce attendance by having students come to class on different days or by having some groups of students learn virtually.

Allen introduced an amendment earlier this week to the House Education and Labor Committee’s reconciliation recommendations to require K-12 school districts to reopen if they receive COVID-19 relief funds. In response to the CDC’s guidance, Allen said, “As I’ve been saying for months, schools can and should safely reopen with proper precautions – and today’s additional guidance from the CDC confirms this truth.”

“Families around the country are desperate for their children to return to the classroom, yet President Biden and the Democrats are prioritizing their teacher union allies over the education of our students. The science remains clear that students and teachers can return to the classroom, and if the Biden Administration is serious about listening to science, they must put the well-being of our students first by reopening schools immediately,” he added.”