What do you mean the USA? There are states, there are cities, there are individuals, there are businesses, there are schools systems, there are unions, there is the federal government. Each has their own viewpoint and priority.
The idea is to delegate down as far a possible to avoid blame. So, schools for example, the national government delegates down to the states, who delegate down to the cities, who delegate down to the school district, who delegate down to the schools, who delegate down to the teachers, who delegate down to a select committee of kindergarteners, who are in the best position to design and implement a plan to teach children in person in schools during a pandemic, reflecting their own viewpoint and priority, which probably means a lot of recess.