The latest:
- N.L. reports 44 new COVID-19 cases, with record number of tests.
- Incomplete national data makes it hard to assess exactly how far along Canada is on vaccination.
- In a world first, Britain OKs first challenge trial exposing volunteers to COVID-19.
- Moderna study suggests half doses offer strong immune response, but experts caution against changing approach.
- B.C. health officials warn “tide can turn quickly” as COVID-19 cases creep up in some regions.
- Indoor pools, movie theatres to open in Quebec’s red zones for March break.
- Have a question about the coronavirus pandemic? Send your question to COVID@cbc.ca
U.S. President Joe Biden is promising that a majority of elementary schools will be open five days a week by the end of his first 100 days in office, restating his goal after his administration came under fire when aides said schools would be considered open if they held in-person learning just one day a week.
Biden’s comments, made during a CNN town hall in Milwaukee, marked his clearest statement yet on school reopenings. Biden had pledged in December to reopen “the majority of our schools” in his first 100 days but has since faced increasing questions about how he would define and achieve that goal, with school districts operating under a patchwork of different virtual and in-person learning arrangements nationwide.
“I said open a majority of schools in K through eighth grade, because they’re the easiest to open, the most needed to be open in terms of the impact on children and families having to stay home,” Biden said.
He said comments by White House press secretary Jen Psaki earlier this month that one day a week of in-person learning would meet his goal were “a mistake in the communication.”
Asked when the country would see kindergarten through eighth grades back to in-person learning five days a week, Biden said, “We’ll be close to that at the end of the first 100 days.” He said he expected many schools would push to stay open through the summer but suggested reopening would take longer for high schools due to a higher risk of contagion among older students.
WATCH | How susceptible are kids to COVID-19?:
Two pediatric infectious disease specialists answer viewer questions about COVID-19 including how susceptible children are to COVID-19 and if they are more likely to be asymptomatic. 6:54
The town hall touched on a range of issues related to the coronavirus pandemic, from protections for small businesses to the administration’s vaccination plans. Biden said that by the end of July, there would be 600 million doses of the vaccine available, enough to vaccinate every American.
But with many of his answers, he sought to emphasize the need for funding to achieve his goals. The town hall was aimed at selling his $1.9 trillion US coronavirus aid package directly to the American people — part of an effort designed in part to put pressure on Republican lawmakers and refocus Congress on…
Read More: Coronavirus: What’s happening in Canada and around the world on Wednesday
