[Alisyn Camerota, Cnn Anchor:] More than 200,000 people have died from coronavirus around the, sorry, two close to 3 million people around the globe. CNN has reporters across the globe to bring you the latest developments.
[Clarissa Ward, Cnn Chief International Correspondent:] I'm Clarissa Ward in London, where Prime Minister Boris Johnson is now back at work more than two weeks after being discharged from intensive care with coronavirus. Earlier today he told reporters standing here that essentially there are real signs that this country is close to defeating Covid-19, but he said this is a moment of maximum risk, and he said that those restrictions must stay in place in order to prevent a second wave of infection. The government in the U.K. has been coming under increased pressure from the public, who want to know when that lockdown might be lifted, and what it might look like.
[Frederick Pleitgen, Cnn Correspondent:] I'm Fred Pleitgen in Potsdam, Germany, where most Germans are now required to wear face masks in many public places. Now, in most instances, it's usually on public transport and when going into stores. There are some exceptions, however. And all this comes after Angela Merkel has warned that Germany risks squandering some of the gains that have been made in combating the coronavirus, even as new cases continue to decline.
[Barbie Nadeau, Cnn Correspondent:] I'm Barbara Nadeau in Rome, where the Italian government has just laid out the road map for phase two, the reopening of the country. On Monday, May 4th, industries like construction and fashion production will be able to open up again. People will be able to go outside their homes and exercise within their cities and restaurants and coffee bars will be able to offer takeout services. Then, on May 18th, we'll see retail industries open as long as they can provide safe, social distancing and sanitize things like clothing and shoes between customers. Then, if all goes to plan, on June 1st, bars, restaurants will offer inside seating. Hairdressers, spas and other entities will be able to reopen.
[Camerota:] OK, so let me be more clear. There are 3 million cases of coronavirus around the world almost, well, now more than 200,000 deaths. Meanwhile, remote learning is part of the new normal here in America. So when schools do eventually reopen, how different will the school experience be? CNN's Laura Jarrett joins us with more. Hi, Laura, great to see you.
[Laura Jarrett, Cnn Anchor, "early Start":] Hi, Alisyn. You know, there's been so much focus and debate about what it's going to take for states to reopen the economy, but schools are such a key part of this conversation because as long as kids are stuck at home, their parents are stuck at home. But when schools do reopen, it's going to look really different.
[Jillian Balow, Wyoming Superintendent Of Public Instruction:] I think we would be naive to ever think about American schools going back to the way that they were.
[Jarrett:] While the coronavirus has caused a majority of states across the country to keep schools closed for the rest of the academic year
[Unidentified Male:] We decided to continue remote learning.
[Unidentified Female:] I am confident it is the right decision.
[Unidentified Male:] We're not going to be able to go back to school.
[Jarrett:] Governors, school superintendents and teachers are trying to figure out how to safely reopen classrooms, whenever that may be.
[Balow:] Not only is this not a one size fits all, it's a brand new size for everyone.
[Jarrett:] An outlier, Montana, whose governor says schools may reopen as soon as May 7th. And those that do are being urged to disinfect door handles, keep playgrounds off limits and provide hand sanitizer and other precautions. In Florida, the education commissioner says the goal is to reopen schools this summer, using a hybrid format involving distance learning and classes on campus. Masks, deep cleanings, modified recess and PE all under consideration.
[Jeff Riley, Massachusetts Commissioner Of Elementary And Secondary Education:] What we've seen from other countries that have started the process of opening are things like temperature checking students, keeping desks six feet apart from students, some people are staggered schedules.
[Jarrett:] Officials nationwide all searching for methods that will allow them to reopen schools without putting students and their families at risk.
[Gov. Gavin Newsom:] We just need to do it in a safe way so that those kids are not going to school, getting infected and then coming back home and infecting grandma or grandpa.
[Jarrett:] But for younger kids especially, principals like Inas Morsi- Hogans in New York say physical distancing won't be so easy.
[Inas Morsi-hogans, Elementary School Principal:] When I think about our four-year-olds and everything that they do in the classroom, first of all, they're germ bubbles, right, and how would you even get them to school on a bus? Would you have one student in every seat, and then they'd come in. I mean they're just touching each other. They're hugging each other.
[Jarrett:] Still, states in the U.S. do have models abroad to turn to. In Denmark, schools have reopened their doors for students under 12 years old with new pandemic-minded rules. Desks separated six feet apart and hand washing at least every two hours. For first grade teacher Jill Fink in Los Angeles, having enough physical space is key.
[Jill Fink, Teacher:] My dream scenario would be that the class sizes would all be smaller. My fear, too, is it's going to take more money. Maybe we're going to have to build more buildings.
[Jarrett:] Her daughter, Sabra, an eighth grader, says she welcomes any new safety measures. She's just eager to see her friends again.
[Sabra Fink, Eighth Grade Student:] I want to be back into the action where everything is and I think I'm ready. And I think they'll like have all the necessities they need to get us back in.
[Jarrett:] John and Alisyn, all of the educators that we talked to when doing this story said figuring out how to configure the classrooms, how to make things safe is one thing. And that might actually be the easy part. The harder challenge may be, they say, is figuring out all the social and emotional issues that these kids have been dealing with over the past couple months and where the gaps may be, where they might have fallen behind with virtual learning. That's the next challenge. John and Alisyn.
[Camerota:] I certainly understand that eighth grader saying she is ready. I hear that from my kids as well. Laura, thank you very much. Dr. Sanjay Gupta is back to answer your medical questions, next.