Dr. Fauci Now Says Schools Should Update Their ‘Ventilation Systems’ Before Opening

GEIST Dr Fauci good ░░░░░░░░ It s Willie Geist ░░░░░░░░ to see you again ░░░░░░░░ want to ask you ░░░░░░░░ schools Because as you ░░░░░░░░ the crisis of this ░░░░░░░░ year extends far beyond ░░░░░░░░ health it s in ░░░░░░░░ schools now You have ░░░░░░░░ full year There s ░░░░░░░░ that 3 million kids ░░░░░░░░ not been contacted over ░░░░░░░░ last year have not ░░░░░░░░ in to school Kids ░░░░░░░░ resources who don t ░░░░░░░░ Wi Fi who don ░░░░░░░░ have laptops who just ░░░░░░░░ t going to school ░░░░░░░░ a full year that ░░░░░░░░ implications for education but ░░░░░░░░ now pediatricians are talking ░░░░░░░░ the psychological impact of ░░░░░░░░ out of school for ░░░░░░░░ year You have said ░░░░░░░░ ought to reopen if ░░░░░░░░ can do so safely ░░░░░░░░ Head of CDC Dr ░░░░░░░░ had said the same ░░░░░░░░ why are schools not ░░░░░░░░ in your judgment FAUCI ░░░░░░░░ There are several reasons ░░░░░░░░ s complicated It s ░░░░░░░░ not easy you know ░░░░░░░░ or shot There are ░░░░░░░░ issues First of all ░░░░░░░░ want to make sure ░░░░░░░░ the first and most ░░░░░░░░ thing is to guarantee ░░░░░░░░ safety and the health ░░░░░░░░ the children of the ░░░░░░░░ and other people in ░░░░░░░░ educational program We ve ░░░░░░░░ to make sure that ░░░░░░░░ have the resources to ░░░░░░░░ the kinds of things ░░░░░░░░ need to do which ░░░░░░░░ be making sure they ░░░░░░░░ masks and PPE making ░░░░░░░░ that ventilation system can ░░░░░░░░ improved to be able ░░░░░░░░ diminish the likelihood that ░░░░░░░░ will be spread of ░░░░░░░░ You know the CDC ░░░░░░░░ are pretty explicit There ░░░░░░░░ detailed guidelines about what ░░░░░░░░ can do the kinds ░░░░░░░░ things you can do ░░░░░░░░ steps the masking the ░░░░░░░░ the kinds of things ░░░░░░░░ we know can help ░░░░░░░░ the children and the ░░░░░░░░ Importantly the president has ░░░░░░░░ very clear that we ░░░░░░░░ to make teachers a ░░░░░░░░ priority among essential workers ░░░░░░░░ know in the 1B ░░░░░░░░ of the prioritization are ░░░░░░░░ workers who want to ░░░░░░░░ sure teachers for vaccination ░░░░░░░░ a high priority within ░░░░░░░░ group We don t ░░░░░░░░ that it is indecipherable ░░░░░░░░ every single teacher needs ░░░░░░░░ be vaccinated before you ░░░░░░░░ back to school But ░░░░░░░░ certainly want to make ░░░░░░░░ a priority All of ░░░░░░░░ things plus the resources ░░░░░░░░ the schools need to ░░░░░░░░ be able to do ░░░░░░░░ things that would make ░░░░░░░░ safe for the children ░░░░░░░░ the teachers and the ░░░░░░░░ program to be there ░░░░░░░░ there are a lot ░░░░░░░░ things that we can ░░░░░░░░ that But to repeat ░░░░░░░░ we ve all said ░░░░░░░░ default position should always ░░░░░░░░ do whatever we can ░░░░░░░░ get the children back ░░░░░░░░ school GEIST No question ░░░░░░░░ it And as you ░░░░░░░░ well there are private ░░░░░░░░ parochial schools and day ░░░░░░░░ open across the country ░░░░░░░░ I think especially here ░░░░░░░░ New York City and ░░░░░░░░ cities We ve been ░░░░░░░░ how low the transmission ░░░░░░░░ have been Schools have ░░░░░░░░ among our safest places ░░░░░░░░ you ve got people ░░░░░░░░ the head of pediatric ░░░░░░░░ at UCLA writing an ░░░░░░░░ ed saying it is ░░░░░░░░ to open the schools ░░░░░░░░ If we are saying ░░░░░░░░ the science we are ░░░░░░░░ the science We ve ░░░░░░░░ at the data for ░░░░░░░░ last year that schools ░░░░░░░░ safe So it leaves ░░░░░░░░ lot of public school ░░░░░░░░ mystified as to why ░░░░░░░░ school is not open ░░░░░░░░ the transmission rates are ░░░░░░░░ low FAUCI That is ░░░░░░░░ good point But again ░░░░░░░░ are still things that ░░░░░░░░ can do to make ░░░░░░░░ even safer And I ░░░░░░░░ adhering to the CDC ░░░░░░░░ will be very helpful ░░░░░░░░ schools to getting it ░░░░░░░░ GEIST And you talked ░░░░░░░░ ventilation and things like ░░░░░░░░ Obviously those are long ░░░░░░░░ investments that have to ░░░░░░░░ made and some of ░░░░░░░░ will be in the ░░░░░░░░ relief package if it ░░░░░░░░ in fact pass through ░░░░░░░░ that s down the ░░░░░░░░ A lot of that ░░░░░░░░ is allocated for next ░░░░░░░░ So what do you ░░░░░░░░ if this Covid relief ░░░░░░░░ passes What is the ░░░░░░░░ impact from your public ░░░░░░░░ point of view FAUCI ░░░░░░░░ know I think several ░░░░░░░░ You know it s ░░░░░░░░ going to take a ░░░░░░░░ to rearrange some of ░░░░░░░░ spacing to get children ░░░░░░░░ at a distance I ░░░░░░░░ there is this big ░░░░░░░░ about six feet versus ░░░░░░░░ feet but those are ░░░░░░░░ that can be worked ░░░░░░░░ at a different level.”