Public health experts say schools are safe – but districts struggle to convince parents and teachers

Studies have shown that schools with solid Covid safety measures – such as ventilation, vaccination, cohort surveillance testing and masking – are largely safe. Photograph: Brian Snyder/Reuters

Short-term school closures across the US amid the Omicron surge have reignited debate about how to protect the nation’s students and teachers during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Public health experts have found themselves squeezed between exhausted parents and teachers, as schools try to keep children learning in-person despite the recent swell in cases.