WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 31st December, 2020) A $2 billion plan to open schools, first to younger children with ages gradually increasing throughout spring comes in response to new evidence of decreased risk of contracting the novel coronavirus during classroom instruction, Governor Gavin Newsom said in a press release on Wednesday.
"The Budget will propose for immediate action in January, $2 billion to support safety measures - including testing, ventilation and PPE - for schools that have resumed in-person instruction or phasing in of in-person instruction by early spring," Newsom said.
Newsom cited unspecified yet "growing evidence of decreased risks and increased benefits" of in-person instruction during the coronavirus pandemic.
The plan begins by bringing back children in traditional kindergarten through second grade and then phasing in other grade levels throughout the spring, the release said.
The effort will require prioritization of teachers and other school staff for vaccinations, while continuing mitigation measures such as frequent testing and facemasks for all students and staff, the release added.
Parents will also have the option of keeping their children at home for virtual instruction with computers, according to the release.
US educators have grown increasingly alarmed over students falling behind and growing failure rates in school systems that closed classrooms and switched to remote learning when the pandemic emerged in early 2020.
