PHX Reporter

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention laid out their recommendations on the phased approach for reopening schools, which U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona said is 'pure madness.' 

While the CDC’s science brief states that the “transmission of SARS-CoV-2 within schools can be limited with strict implementation of layered mitigation strategies, including universal and correct use of masks and physical distancing,” Biggs said this is not true.

“This school reopening guidance from the CDC is pure madness, and it defies science,” he wrote on Twitter. “It puts politics and unions before our children.”

Not all teachers and parents welcome the idea of reopening schools. Biggs urged state and local leaders to speak up on the matter.

“State and local governments must stand up to the Biden administration to do what is right for our children and working parents.”

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said that “the guidance stresses that teachers should be prioritized for vaccines and that once educators are vaccinated, schools should continue to implement these mitigation practices,” CBS News reported.

The guidelines for reopening schools are based on rates of community transmission in which thresholds, zones, and types of learning instructions are specified.

The thresholds for community transmission and their correlating color zones are blue: 0 to 9 cases; yellow: 10 to 49 cases; orange: 50 to 99 cases; and red: more than 100 cases.

An overview of the strategy can be accessed through this CDC link.