Fauci: ‘Can’t Comment’ on Flint Schools Going Virtual Indefinitely, ‘I’m Not Criticizing’ ‘Some Schools’ That Go Virtual, Most Should Be Open

On Monday’s broadcast of MSNBC’s “Stephanie Ruhle Reports,” White House Chief Medical Adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci said he can’t comment on schools in Flint, MI going virtual indefinitely “Because things differ from district to district, and I think that would be unfair.” And that there will be “some schools where the degree of infection would be such that the local authorities would make a decision, which I’m not criticizing, is to go virtual. But for the most part, I don’t believe we need to do that.”

Host Stephanie Ruhle asked, “A year-and-a-half ago, we didn’t have any of those tools. The only tool we really had was stay home, lock down. So, when we read headlines like the school system in Flint, Michigan has decided now to go virtual again indefinitely, does that make sense to you? Given all the tools we do have at our disposal right now, sending school kids home again, do you think that’s a good idea?”

Fauci responded, “Well, I can’t comment on any individual school district. Because things differ from district to district, and I think that would be unfair. We now have about 97% of the schools are open for in-presence learning. There will be situations with some schools where the degree of infection would be such that the local authorities would make a decision, which I’m not criticizing, is to go virtual. But for the most part, I don’t believe we need to do that. I think if you surround the children with teachers and other personnel that are vaccinated, getting the children who are eligible to be vaccinated vaccinated, get good ventilation in the classrooms, get good testing, we should be able to keep the overwhelming majority of the schools open.”

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