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Teachers’ Unions Call to Halt In-Person Learning as COVID-19 Cases Rise
With COVID-19 cases once again rising, teachers’ unions across the U.S. are calling to stop in-person learning.
Some state governments have already loosened health restrictions, and schools have reopened with precautionary measures. However, as Fox News explained, “the success of a classroom setting amidst the pandemic has been a mixed bag.”
A school district in Georgia had to quarantine nearly 1,200 students and staff members in August. This comes following a second-grader who tested positive on the first day.
In New York City, cases plateaued. Democratic Mayor Bill de Blasio declared victory in October. “We did it, New York City,” he said on the city's third “first day” of in-person learning at school, as reported by Fox News.
However, last week, he warned parents that schools would likely shutter again if the city's positivity rate exceeded 3%.
Cases Rise Once More
According to experts, another 100,000 to 200,000 Americans could die from COVID-19 over the next few months if there is no significant action taken.
Jim Kenney, Philadelphia's Democratic Mayor, told his residents that the city does not “take any of this lightly.”
“Believe me, more than anything in the world, I wish none of this was necessary,” he said.
Moreover, the Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA) is requesting “that any district within a county experiencing substantial COVID-19-spread transition to solely remote instruction,” Fox News reported.
“The state departments of Health and Education developed these guidelines based on good science and what the infection rates are in a school’s community,” PSEA President Rich Askey said Wednesday. “We must follow these guidelines to the letter. It’s the best way for us to slow the spread of this virus and keep our students, staff and their families safe.”
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