Trump Downplays Coronavirus Risk As Colleges Experience New Outbreaks
September 2, 2020
As Trump continues to downplay the risk of the coronavirus to college students, his own White House officials warned that sending kids back to college poses a serious risk for increasing the spread of coronavirus, and new outbreaks are already happening in college towns.
In his Fox New interview last night, Trump continued to downplay the risk of coronavirus to college students, saying “they’re young, strong people.”
TRUMP: “They’re young, strong people. They’re not gonna have a problem with Covid.”
Top White House officials admitted that sending kids back to colleges has created serious risk for increased coronavirus spread.
The Daily Beast: “Top White House officials rang the alarm bell during a call with the nation’s governors on Monday, pleading with them to advise college presidents in their states to keep COVID-infected students on campus or risk another major outbreak… The comments represent one of the most explicit acknowledgments to date that the White House’s aggressive push to bring students back to campus this fall has created serious risks for increased COVID transmission. It also underscores just how fragile the current situation is at college campuses across the country.”
Colleges across the country are experiencing coronavirus outbreaks as students return to attending in-person classes.
Alabama — BuzzFeed News: “More Than 1,200 Students At The University Of Alabama Have Tested Positive For The Coronavirus”
Utah — CNN: “287 Utah State University students quarantined after Covid-19 found in wastewater from four dorms”
Colorado — Colorado Sun: “Colorado College suspends most in-person learning after coronavirus prompts three dorm quarantines”
Pennsylvania — ABC 6: “Philadelphia health commissioner to Temple students: ‘Assume everyone around you is infected’”
Illinois — WGLT: “More than 1,023 Illinois State University students have tested positive for COVID-19—an alarming number given it’s only about two weeks into the fall semester.”
College towns dominate the list where new coronavirus cases have increased the most over the past two weeks.
Associated Press: “College towns growing alarmed over outbreaks among students”
Fortune: “College towns dominate the list of places—accounting for the top 16 spots—where new cases of COVID-19 have increased the most in the past two-week period, according to a Fortune analysis of New York Times data.”