CDC director says closed schools pose larger public health risk for kids than reopening

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Robert Redfield on Thursday said he believes shuttered schools present a greater public health issue than reopening schools.

"I'm of the point of view as a public health leader in this nation, that having the schools actually closed is a greater public health threat to the children than having the schools reopen," he said to Steve Clemons of The Hill.

"I think really people underestimate the public health consequences of having the schools closed on the kids," Redfield reportedly said. "I'm confident we can open these schools safely, work in partnership with the local jurisdictions."

President Trump has been advocating for schools to reopen and on Wednesday criticized the CDC.

"I disagree with @CDCgov on their very tough & expensive guidelines for opening schools. While they want them open, they are asking schools to do very impractical things. I will be meeting with them!!!," the president tweeted on Wednesday.

Redfield has indicated that while the CDC is not altering its guidelines it is releasing more information. 

“It's not a revision of the guidelines, it's just to provide additional information to help the schools be able to use the guidance that we put forward,” Redfield said during an interview Thursday with ABC News.

Students in New York city may return to in-person schooling in September, but not every weekday. The plan would have students attend in-person some days while engaging in remote learning on other days.

According to Johns Hopkins University there have been more than 3 million coronavirus cases in the U.S. and more than 132,000 deaths.