On Monday, Democrat New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that they will only use “data” to determine whether schools should reopen or not, adding that the state refused to “to use our children as guinea pigs.”

Following his announcement, the Governor claimed that school reopening remains conditional. In a Twitter post, the Democrat expressed his desire to allow students to go back to school. However, Cuomo wrote that they will reopen “if a region is in Phase 4 & daily infection rate remains below 5% (14-day avg).” Cuomo warned that it will remain close if the regional infection rate is “greater than 9% (7-day avg) after August 1”:

Moreover, the Governor also added that they will not “use our children as a litmus test, and we’re not going to put our children in a place where their health is in danger.” He believed that using existing data; they can prevent and mitigate the risks of school reopenings “in this crazy environment.” He added that “We’re not going to use our children as guinea pigs.

Watch:

The state had also issued guidelines for reopening. One of which requires districts and schools to submit a plan before July 31. The plan will be presented to the virtual Regional School Reopening Task Force meetings and a student forum that will be hosted by the Board of Regents. As the state announced, “By July 31, all districts and schools are required to create and submit to the Department Reopening Plans at the school level.” The department also claimed that the plans will be posted on its public website and must fulfill the “mandatory elements.”

According to their new guidelines, the plan of action will focus more on preventive measures, which include health checks, instructions for proper hygiene, as well as focusing on maintaining social distancing among students. In terms of facilities, the state urged schools to expand their “physical footprints” and expected them to meet or even exceed their own “ventilation requirements,

The guidelines also extend to school transportation. In fact, it recognizes school buses as an “extension of the classroom” and should also be considered in terms of ensuring the student’s safety. Buses will be routinely disinfected, and students will continue to follow strict social distancing measures, as well as expect them to wear face masks.

However, President Donald Trump disagreed with the New York Governor. In a social media post, the President believed that if other European countries such as Germany, Denmark, and Switzerland can reopen, he doesn’t see any problems why the U.S. cannot do so.

In an interview with “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” Education Secretary Betsy DeVos warned that the Education Department ae making serious consideration to withhold funds for districts who refuse to reopen, warning that they will not tolerate “fearmongering” on the upcoming school reopenings.