Surgeon General: Transmission Rates Must Be Lowered Before Schools Can Reopen

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In an interview with CBS This Morning, Surgeon General Jerome Adams said the transmission rate of the novel coronavirus must be lowered before schools can consider reopening.

“The biggest determinant of whether or not we can go back to school actually has little to do with the actual schools,” Adams said. “It is your background transmission rate.” Adams acknowledged that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released recommendations for reopening schools safely, but cautioned that “the most important thing is what we do outside of schools before we reopen to lower the transmission rate.”

“We know the risk is low to the actual students,” Adams continued. “But we know they can transmit to others. … 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.”

You can watch Adams’s interview below.

The remarks from the surgeon general come as President Donald Trump continues to advocate reopening schools nationwide even as coronavirus cases spike. The U.S. has reported its highest daily numbers this month as states eased their lockdowns and reopened their economies.