Dr. Anthony Fauci, a top adviser to two presidential administrations during the COVID-19 pandemic, reversed course in a Tuesday interview and agreed that shutting down schools for more than a year due to the virus was a “mistake” — while also arguing the initial decision to close classrooms was correct.
“Keeping it for a year was not a good idea,” the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) told “CBS Mornings” co-host Tony Dokoupil while talking about his new memoir “On Call: A Doctor’s Journey in Public Service.”
“So, that was a mistake in retrospect?” Dokoupil asked. “We will not repeat it?”
“Absolutely, yeah,” Fauci responded.
Fauci, 83, has previously stood by the recommendation that forced children out of classrooms and into remote learning alternatives — both in sworn congressional testimony and remarks to the press.
During summer 2020, as many schools were considering reopening, Fauci butted heads with former President Donald Trump — touting Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines that forced closures based on spread in the broader community.
“I disagree with @CDCgov on their very tough & expensive guidelines for opening schools. While they want them open, they are asking schools to do very impractical things. I will be meeting with them!!!” Trump posted on Twitter July 8, 2020.
