Whats going in US? The country is spiraling into the dark abyss of uncertainty, with Covid-19 cases hitting an all time record of over 60,000 cases in a single day, the White House has pushed all states to reopen schools in the August.
Mind you this is the nation with the highest number of case passing 3 million with over 132,000 deaths, President Donald Trump this week threatened in his tweets to “cut off federal funding” for schools if they do not resume in-person learning this fall and criticised the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for “their very tough & expensive guidelines” for opening schools.
During a press briefing of the White House coronavirus task force that took place at the Education Department, Vice President Mike Pence said the CDC would issue new guidance on reopening schools next week.
“We don’t want the guidance from CDC to be a reason why schools don’t open,” Pence said. “I think that every American, every American knows that we can safely reopen our schools.”
“Remember it’s guidance, it’s not requirements, and its purpose is to facilitate the reopening and keeping open the schools in this country,” CDC Director Robert Redfield said.
Meanwhile Trump is insisting on putting pressure on governors and everyone else to open the schools.
“Our country has got to get back, and it’s got to get back as soon as possible, and I don’t consider our country coming back if the schools are closed,” he said.
This is a stark comparison in how countries in Europe and Asia is handling the Covid-19 pandemic, for example Malaysia took a super clinical cautionary approach before allowing our young children back to schools. Ever higher education Minister has given the Universities autonomy on whether they want students to continue studying online or on premise.
At this point only history will judge the Presidents motifs, although children are not classified as risk groups, but they can be carriers spreading the virus to their vulnerable family members. The fear is real and the world is watching US and its unorthodox approach, with blood in his hands Trump is relentless in putting America’s economy first instead of its people.
