“There is no single prevalence or threshold that would be appropriate for all communities,” Dr. Rivers said. Dr. Rivers said schools would need to decide how and when to open, close and reopen schools by taking into account many factors, including disease levels in the community — and should plan for what to do when students or teachers become infected. “Even with extensive mitigation measures, it’s not possible to reduce the risk to zero, and that has to be part of the discussions,” Dr. Rivers said. Reopening schools should be a priority because schools fulfill many roles beyond providing an education, the authors said. “It’s child care, it’s nutrition, it’s health services, it’s social and emotional support services,” said Dr. Enriqueta Bond, the committee’s chair.

Source: New York Times July 15, 2020 15:00 UTC