A group of 2,000 Tennessee doctors and health care workers said that reopening schools is "insane" while COVID-19 cases continue to rise in the state. They said that sending children back to school is putting everyone's lives at risk.
"The people I don't hear getting talked about are the teachers and the family members of the teachers and the grandparents," Nick Cote said, a physician. "No kid wants to bring home a virus that kills grandma or that lands their parents in the ICU."
The group is called "Protect My Care" and sent their original letter to Governor Bill Lee on March 20, calling for increased restrictions to slow the spread of COVID-19.
The group said that schools should not reopen until there are 10 new cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 people for at least 14 days in a row. They have also been pushing for more restrictions, such as requirements to wear masks and practice social distancing.
The group also called for expanded contact tracing and regular reporting to better inform decisions to reopen schools in a press release Thursday. They also called for rapid and regular testing for the coronavirus.