Jill Biden Shows Solidarity With Puerto Rico’s Teachers and Healthcare Workers

The first lady sent a message of compassion and support to the people on the island who have struggled through the pandemic, especially those in Guánica, who were also affected by earthquakes.

First lady Dr. Jill Biden sent a message of encouragement to the teachers, healthcare workers, and families in Puerto Rico dealing with the pandemic.

President Joe Biden’s spouse tweeted on Sunday a heartfelt message, recognizing the difficult situation that thousands of people are facing.

RELATED: Parents in Puerto Rico Protest 2-Week School Closings After Covid Spike

On Monday, public and private schools located in 21 of the 38 towns on the island were supposed to resume in-person classes, following a two-week preventive closure.

However, on April 8, local Health Department Secretary Dr. Carlos Mellado ordered an indefinite school closure because of the high positivity rate, the rise in cases, and the increase in cases and hospitalizations among children.

The Health Department reported today 649 new cases for a total of 113,86 cases. The island’s death toll is 2,265. There are 538 people hospitalized. Of these patients, 39 are pediatric, two of whom require a ventilator.

Puerto Rico Gov. Pedro Pierluisi responded to Biden by thanking her for the support that she and the president have given the island.

The issue of reopening schools has generated controversy on the island because of conflicting opinions among experts and parents.

Last month was the first time that schools were opened since the pandemic began on the island in March 2020.

The situation is worse for the children and teachers of Guánica, because they have not been in school since December 2019, because of a series of earthquakes that affected the region last year. The most serious was a magnitude 6.4 earthquake on Jan. 6, which did not spare a single school.