U.S. CDC releases new resources, tools to support opening schools

Staff members greet the graduates at Burlingame High School in San Mateo county, the United States, May 22, 2020. The school held drive-thru graduation for the class of 2020 due to COVID-19. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaoling)

"It is critically important for our public health to open schools this fall," says CDC Director Robert Redfield.

WASHINGTON, July 24 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released new science-based resources and tools for school administrators, teachers, parents, guardians, and caregivers when schools open this fall.

With states, cities, and communities around the United States experiencing different levels of coronavirus transmission, jurisdictions should ensure appropriate public health strategies are in place to slow the spread of COVID-19 as the first step in creating a safer school environment, said a release of the CDC late Thursday.

"It is critically important for our public health to open schools this fall," said CDC Director Robert Redfield.

Robert Redfield, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), attends a hearing of U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies on the plan to research, manufacture and distribute a coronavirus vaccine on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., the United States, on July 2, 2020. (Saul Loeb/Pool via Xinhua)

The newly released CDC resources will help parents, teachers and administrators make practical, safety-focused decisions as this school year begins, he said.

CDC is prepared to work with K-12 schools to safely reopen while protecting the most vulnerable, Redfield added.

The resources and tools made available include promoting behaviors that prevent spread, altering how a school and school day is structured, and outlining how to keep the school environment healthy through cleaning, proper ventilation, and other practices.

The resources and tools also describe what to do to guard against someone who might be sick from infecting others and what to do if this occurs. ■