Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) on Friday stressed the need for testing to get students back in school in the fall.
Alexander said children should plan to be in school in the upcoming school year, but said proper testing and social distancing will be “key” to reopening schools, which he said is important to avoid the risk of “social, intellectual, emotional damage.”
Fox News Channel’s “America’s Newsroom” host Sandra Smith asked Alexander, “Should … kids plan on going back to school this fall?”
“My opinion is yes,” Alexander replied. “There are some health risks — Dr. Fauci warned against cavalierly dismissing those — but we do know that COVID has been less damaging to younger people, even though they may carry it to older people. So, I think most principals, most school boards are making plans now to go back to school in August.”
He continued, “[A]ny teacher can tell you there are other risks — the risks of social, intellectual, emotional damage to a child who might lose an entire school year, and we want to avoid that.”
As for safely reopening schools, Alexander said children should wear masks and continue practicing social distancing, in addition to more testing being provided by the schools.
“If you find a child in a classroom who is infected, he … or she is removed from the classroom, you test all of the other kids in the classroom, and make sure the school is safe,” he advised.
Follow Trent Baker on Twitter @MagnifiTrent
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