Softening his earlier stance, US President Donald Trump has acknowledged that some schools may need to delay their reopening this fall as the coronavirus continues to surge.
It marks a shift from Trump's previous demand for a full reopening of the nation's schools. In recent weeks, Trump has said that it's safe to open schools and that Democrats have opposed it for political reasons.
But speaking at a White House news conference on Thursday, Trump said districts in some virus hot spots "may need to delay reopening for a few weeks". He said the decision will fall to governors. Even as he tempered his position, though, Trump insisted that every school should be "actively making preparations to open".
Students need to be in school buildings to prevent learning setbacks, he said, and to access meal programs and mental health services.
As long as they have necessary measures in place, he added, "many school districts can now reopen safely". Trump has made opening schools a key priority as he looks to restart the economy. Students need to return to the classroom so their parents can return to work, he has said.
