Dr. Jha’s 5-point COVID-19 strategy for getting kids back to school safely

August 9, 2021

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(NEW YORK) — As the COVID-19 delta variant continues to raise new concerns for Americans, parents can follow a set of five principles to help make going back to school safer for their children.

Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, joined Good Morning America Monday to share his five-point strategy:

1. Vaccinate everyone who is eligible and who will be around children in schools

“Those kids who can’t get vaccinated, the way you protect them is making sure everyone around them is vaccinated,” Jha said.

2. Upgrade ventilation in schools

“We’ve got a lot to do to improve the air quality in schools,” he said of ventilation and filtration.

3. Test in schools

“We should be testing every unvaccinated person on a regular basis in schools,” Jha said about extensive access to testing.

4. Wear masks

5. Avoid super-crowded events

Jha suggested avoiding assembly halls and concerts.

As for the latest surge hitting the U.S., Jha said he expects “that until we put in mitigation measures and get more people vaccinated, we’re going to be struggling with the delta variant for a while.”