Dr. Birx: Before schools can reopen, coronavirus outbreaks must get under control

Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

• White House coronavirus response coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx said that coronavirus outbreaks in the United States need to be slowed down before schools can reopen. 
• Birx emphasized the importance of Americans following existing public health recommendations like avoiding large groups and distancing in public places to help with lifting reopening schools.
• Former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said school reopenings shouldn't only take students' health into account, but "teachers need to be thought of as front-line workers."
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

White House coronavirus response coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx said on Sunday that coronavirus outbreaks need to be controlled in the United States before schools can reopen. 

In an interview on CNN's "State of the Union," host Dana Bash asked Birx about a recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control Director Robert Redfield, which said schools in areas with a 5% positivity rate or higher need to use distance learning. See the rest of the story at Business Insider

NOW WATCH: Inside London during COVID-19 lockdown

See Also:

• The Maryland county where Barron Trump attends school has ordered private schools to stay closed until October
• Coronavirus spreads to hundreds of youth who attended an overnight summer camp in Georgia: CDC
• $600 federal unemployment benefit to expire on Friday after Democrats block a plan to cut benefits to $200 per week