The start of another school year is just around the corner. In preparation for it, the CDC issued new guidelines Thursday that heavily favors getting students back into their classrooms.
The health agency pointed to evidence that suggests "COVID-19 poses relatively low risks to school-aged children" and that kids who do contract it are less likely to then pass it on to their families.
The CDC also says keeping kids out of school can lead to "severe learning loss" and limit access to counseling, special education services and additional meals.
For districts that plan to reopen, the CDC recommends requiring students to wear masks, frequently wash their hands and social distance from each other. It also suggests turning underutilized or outdoor spaces into more classrooms and keeping groups of kids together in what it called "pods" throughout the school day to minimize contact between students.
The CDC did stress that schools should consider remaining closed if they're located in areas where there is substantial, uncontrolled transmission of the coronavirus.
President Trump touched on that point when talking to reporters Thursday.
"In cities or states that are current hotspots, and you'll see that in the map behind me, districts may need to delay reopening for a few weeks, and that's possible. That'll be up to governors. ... But every district should be actively making preparations to open."
Education Week says at least nine of the nation's 15 largest school districts have already decided to continue with remote learning this fall.
Contains footage from CNN.
