United States is currently facing protest issues by teachers,’ they demand that in-person classes should not be there unless there are safety precautions and protocols, they should continue when safety protocols are established.
As COVID-19 is surging in many parts of the country, teachers and support staff from more than 35 schools in the United States are protesting on Monday against the reopening of schools.
a report by a website set up for the demonstrations reports that they are demanding in-person classes not to be held until scientific data supports it, safety protocols such as lower class sizes and virus testing are maintained and schools must be staffed with adequate numbers of counselors and nurses. This means there should be a proper system for dealing with the situation.
On Twitter, the Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association highlighted protesters crafting mock gravestones with messages like, ‘Here lies a third-grade student from Green Bay who caught COVID at school’ and ‘RIP Grandma caught COVID helping grandkids with homework.’ The teachers are calling for financial assistance for struggling parents, which includes help with rent and mortgages, a halt to evictions and foreclosures, and direct cash support.
These demands are at the forefront of a political battle in Washington, where Congressional Democrats and Trump administration officials are set to resume negotiations on Monday regarding a coronavirus economic relief bill after failing to extend benefits for millions of unemployed Americans.
Since the coronavirus was first identified in China in December, it has infected 4.6 million people in the U.S. and resulted in over 155,000 deaths since February. In July alone, deaths increased by more than 25,000, with cases doubling in 19 states during that time.
President Donald Trump has incorporated the reopening of schools for in-person instruction in August and September into his re-election campaign strategy, as he trails Democratic candidate Joe Biden in the polls leading up to the November 3 election. ‘Cases up because of BIG Testing! Much of our Country is doing very well. Open the Schools’ Trump tweeted on Monday.
While the rise in reported cases may be attributed to increased testing, the recent surges in hospitalizations and deaths are not related to the number of tests conducted.
According to Deborah Birx, coordinator of Trump’s coronavirus task force, the U.S. is now experiencing a new phase of the outbreak, with infections spreading in both rural and urban areas. ‘What we are seeing today is different from March and April. It is extraordinarily widespread,’ Birx stated during an appearance on CNN’s State of the Union.
On Monday, Trump criticized Birx for her remarks, suggesting that she was succumbing to Democratic criticism of the federal response to the pandemic. ‘So Crazy Nancy Pelosi said horrible things about Dr. Deborah Birx, going after her because she was too positive on the very good job we are doing on combatting the China Virus, including Vaccines and Therapeutics. To counter Nancy, Deborah took the bait & hit us. Pathetic’ Trump wrote.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi responded on CNN on Monday, asserting that Birx has ‘enabled’ Trump, who downplayed the seriousness of the virus early on and advocated for a swift reopening of the economy and schools after prolonged lockdowns. ‘I don’t have confidence in anyone who stands there while the President says swallow Lysol and it’s going to cure your virus,’ she said, referring to an infamous April briefing where Trump questioned whether disinfectant injections could treat the virus, prompting product manufacturers to issue warnings against such actions.