Biden: "This Fall, Schools Must Fully Reopen... Children Can No Longer Be Left Outside the Classroom"

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] U.S. President Joe Biden emphasized that schools will definitely reopen normally this fall semester and reiterated the importance of vaccination for school staff.

On the 29th (local time), President Joe Biden stated in a White House speech, "This fall, schools will definitely reopen full-time, and we will be able to do so," adding, "We cannot afford to keep children out of classrooms for another year." According to The New York Times (NYT), as of the end of May, about 2.4% of U.S. kindergartens and elementary, middle, and high schools were conducting classes exclusively online, while 28.4% were using a hybrid model of online and in-person classes. It is reported that 69.2% of schools held full-time in-person classes.

President Biden also said, "More than 90% of school staff have been vaccinated, and we will provide every means to ensure a safe reopening," adding, "The American Rescue Plan has supported billions of dollars in preventive measures, and if vaccines are deemed safe for those under 12, we will prepare to vaccinate them as soon as possible."

This statement is interpreted as a concern that the COVID-19 prevention achievements, which have been a top priority since his inauguration by accelerating vaccination rates, might be undermined. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had previously changed guidelines to say that fully vaccinated people did not need to wear masks, but with the surge in cases due to the Delta variant, they revised the guidelines again to require vaccinated individuals to wear masks indoors.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.