HAYNES: THANK YOU, BRITTANY. AND THANK YOU ALL, FOR JOININGUS TODAY FOR AN UPDATE on CDC's K-12 school guidance. My name is Ben Haynes, Deputy Chief of CDC's News Media Branch. We are joined today by Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky, CDC Director, who will provide an update on CDC's latest guidance and recommendations. We are also joined today by Donna Harris-Aikens, Senior Advisor for Policy and Planning at the U.S. Department of Education. Dr. Greta Massetti, Co-Lead of the Community Interventions and Critical Populations Task Force in the CDC COVID response will be joining us during the Q&A portion of today's telebriefing. I'll now turn the call over to Dr. Walensky.
WALENSKY: THANK YOU SO MUCH, BEN, AND THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY.SINCE BECOMING CDC DIRECTOR, I HAVE STRESSED THE IMPORTANCE OF
BRINGING BACK K THROUGH 12 STUDENTS SAFELY TO IN-PERSON LEARNING, SINCE WE KNOW THE BENEFITS THE CLASSROOM SETTING AND THE SUPPORT SERVICES
DELIVERED BY SCHOOLS PROVIDE TO OUR STUDENTS.
ESPECIALLY, THOSE FROM LOW-RESOURCED, RACIAL AND ETHNIC-MINORITY COMMUNITIES, AND CHILDRENS WITH DISABILITIES.I RECOGNIZE THAT THE DECISION, ON WHEN AND HOW TO BEGIN IN-PERSON LEARNING IS ONE THAT
MUST BE BASED ON A THOROUGH REVIEW OF WHAT THE SCIENCE TELLS
US WORKS.AND AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE LIVED EXPERIENCES, CHALLENGES,
AND PERSPECTIVES, OF TEACHERS AND SCHOOL STAFF, PARENTS, AND STUDENTS.
WE HAVE CONDUCTED AN IN-DEPTH REVIEW OF THE AVAILABLE SCIENCE AND EVIDENCE BASE TO GUIDE OUR RECOMMENDATIONS, AND WE HAVE ALSO ENGAGED WITH MANY EDUCATION AND PUBLIC-HEALTH PARTNERS, TO HEAR FIRSTHAND FROM PARENTS AND TEACHERS, DIRECTLY, ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCES AND CONCERNS.
THESE SESSIONS WERE SO INFORMATIVE, AND DIRECT CHANGES TO THE GUIDANCE WERE MADE AS A RESULT OF THEM.
I WANT TO UNDERSCORE THAT THE SAFEST WAY TO OPEN SCHOOLS IS TO
ENSURE THAT THERE IS AS LITTLE DISEASE AS POSSIBLE IN THE COMMUNITY. WE KNOW THAT THE INTRODUCTION OF SUBSEQUENT TRANSMISSION OF COVID-19 IN SCHOOLS IS DIRECTLY CONNECTED TO, AND FACILITATED BY, TRANSMISSION OF COVID-19 OUTSIDE OF THE SCHOOLS AND IN THE COMMUNITY.
THUS, ENABLING SCHOOLS TO OPEN AND REMAIN OPEN IS A SHARED RESPONSIBILITY. THIS MEANS THAT ALL COMMUNITY MEMBERS, STUDENTS, FAMILIES, TEACHERS, AND SCHOOL STAFF, MUST DO THEIR PART TO PROTECT EACH
OTHER AND REDUCE THE LEVEL OF COVID-19 IN THEIR COMMUNITY.
I KNOW THAT TEACHERS, PARENTS, AND STATE AND LOCAL LEADERS HAVE BEEN STRETCHED THIN TRYING TO NAVIGATE THIS PANDEMIC. INSTEAD OF ASKING THEM TO PIECE TOGETHER A PATCHWORK OF GUIDANCES BY TOPIC, WE BELIEVED
IT WAS IMPORTANT TO CREATE A ONE-STOP SHOP TO PROVIDE THE SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION THEY NEED TO KEEP TEACHERS, STUDENTS, AND OTHER SCHOOL STAFF SAFE, WHEN SCHOOLS CHOOSE TO REOPEN.
