As COVID-19 Cases Surge, More Pressure For Schools To Re-Open

As multiple school districts on the New Hampshire Seacoast continue to see an uptick in COVID-19 cases, Gov. Chris Sununu, along with President Biden and the United States Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is applying more pressure for schools across the state to resume in-person learning.

In an announcement on Wednesday, Sununu said "it’s time to get these kids back in the classroom," and echoed sentiment from the CDC's director that the mass vaccination of teachers is not a requirement for re-opening schools in a safe manner.

Meanwhile, at least 11 cases of coronavirus have been recently reported across four schools in Rochester, according to numerous press releases. In Raymond, at least three COVID-19 infections have been announced within the district.

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Other local school districts, such as Dover, are in the process of formulating and finalizing plans for phasing into in-person learning. Dover is set to move into Phase 2 of its five-phase plan on February 15.

Here is Sununu's full statement on re-opening schools in New Hampshire:

The CDC Director’s comments are consistent with the data and studies that show that with proper safety protocols in place, schools can be open safely for in-person learning. I urge the Union leadership in New Hampshire that have been resistant to follow the science, to embrace the Biden Administration’s call for schools to reopen for in-person learning. The will of the students is there, the will of the parents is there, and the science is there. It’s time to get these kids back in the classroom.

Sununu, who lives in Newfields, also referenced comments from CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky, who said, via CNBC, that "schools can safely reopen and that safe reopening does not suggest that teachers need to be vaccinated ... Vaccinations of teachers is not a prerequisite for safely reopening schools..."

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