President Donald Trump on Thursday said schools should make preparations to reopen and get students back to learning.

He claimed that resuming classes would help restart the economy by having parents go back to work.

During a White House news conference, the Republican president acknowledged that schools found in coronavirus hotspots might need to delay reopening for a few weeks due to the pandemic.

Despite the softer stance, Trump said students should go back to school buildings to access meal programs and mental health services. He also said schools district could safely reopen as long as they follow necessary coronavirus measures such as social distancing and hand-washing, The Associated Press reported.

CDC School Reopening Guidelines

His push has constantly put him at odds with health officials and agencies. Earlier this month, Trump prompted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to release new guidelines after their previous suggestions were "too tough."

The new recommendations posted on Thursday said local officials should consider keeping school districts closed depending on the level of COVID-19 transmission in their area.

It urges schools in areas with substantial or uncontrollable virus spread to consider virtual learning in place of in-person classes.

However, the guidelines also said schools located in areas with minimal or moderate spread should consider reopening. It  also recommended following coronavirus protocols, including social distancing, masks, and frequent sanitation, the CNN reported.

CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield issued a statement announcing the changes made. In the unsigned statement, he highlighted the "importance of reopening schools this fall" and said evidence suggests that school-aged children are at low risk of developing severe coronavirus symptoms. 

Redfield cited a report by the CDC published on July 17. In the document, it showed children under the age of 18-year-old account for only seven percent of all COVID-19 cases recorded in the United States. The youth also accounted for less than 0.1 percent of coronavirus-related deaths.

Additionally, international studies suggest that there would be a low rate of transmission in schools when community transmission is low.

The statement also said extended school closures may be harmful to children, citing severe learning setback and the loss of access to food, speech-language therapy and other services available in school.

Funding School Reopening

At the White House briefing, Trump revealed he asked Congress to pledge $105 billion to help schools reopen. Over $70 billion of the funding would go to k-12 schools, half of which will be reserved for schools that fully open in the fall. 

Higher education institutes will receive $30 billion whether they reopen in the fall or not. Governors will also be given $5 billion to allocate at their own discretion.

The $105 billion surpassed what House Democrats proposed in their Heroes Act. In the proposal, they included a $90 billion fund for education, the Forbes reported.

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