Trump Says Colleges Should Strive to Keep Students in School

(Bloomberg) -- President Donald Trump criticized colleges and universities that have turned to remote learning after coronavirus outbreaks, saying it would be safer for communities if students stay on campus.

“Colleges should take reasonable precautions,” Trump said at a White House news conference on Wednesday. “Students who feel sick should not attend class and should limit social interaction as they would for any other illness.”

But he said that it would be safer to keep students living with one another than sending them home to live with relatives who might be at higher risk of serious illness from the virus.

“Instead of saving lives, a decision to close universities could cost lives,” he said.

As Covid-19 continues to spread across the country, schools and universities are grappling with decisions about how to reopen. On Monday, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill abandoned in-person learning one week after classes began after an outbreak on campus. The next day, the University of Notre Dame went on-line and clamped down for two weeks to quell a spike in cases tied to off-campus gatherings.

Also Tuesday, Michigan State University told students preparing to move in next week that it’s reversing course to adopt remote learning due to the virus’s spread throughout the country.

©2020 Bloomberg L.P.