Outbreak hits schools, day cares in North Bay
Thirteen schools and child care facilities in Sonoma County reported coronavirus outbreaks that infected 62 people, including 25 children, health officials said this week.
Most of the children who were infected were 6 years old and younger. Ten members of school staff and 27 family members were also infected, according to Sonoma County Public Health Officer Dr. Sundari Mase. Exposure to the virus occurred at the child care centers.
Officials did not name the schools and child care facilities that suffered the outbreaks.
Despite the outbreaks, Mase stressed the importance of day care and child care facilities at a news conference this week.
“Day care and child care facilities are very small cohorts,” Mase said. “As we reopen, and as people go back to work, it’s very important that we provide child care.”
Five early care and learning centers, five child care centers and three elementary schools that provide day care services were linked to the outbreaks. The early care and learning centers reported the majority of infections, with 19 of the 62 cases.
One outbreak, identified at an early care and learning center in north Sonoma County, had 30 positive cases as of Tuesday. Officials believe the outbreak there began with a student.
Sixteen students, three staffers and 11 family members were infected there. The outbreak is considered ongoing, Mase said, as contact tracing investigations continue. The facility closed for two weeks beginning Sept. 3, based on state recommendations.
Steven Herrington, the Sonoma County superintendent of schools, said the information released by the health department was “sobering” and a reminder that schools should proceed with caution when reopening.
“The data show that just one sick child or staff member can have a ripple effect through a school system, leading to infections of many other students, staff, and family members,” Herrington said in an email statement. “With nearly 70,000 students in Sonoma County, outbreaks
“As people go back to work, it’s very important that we provide child care.”
Dr. Sundari Mase, Sonoma County public health officer
in our schools could have a significant impact on the fight against coronavirus in our community, particularly as flu season ramps up.”
Since Wednesday, Mase received 12 waiver requests to reopen schools. Health officials will determine whether these schools have a sound plan to reopen, but Mase advises schools to continue with distance education for the time being.
“We have COVID19 cases in every sector, so it’s not at all surprising that we have these cases in day care and early learning centers,” Mase said.
“COVID is not selective that way. I don’t think it’s surprising, but I do think it’s something that gives us a little pause when we think about reopening schools.”
Sonoma County public health officials are investigating a total of 381 cases of the coronavirus in children, Mase said. Coronavirus cases in children ages 0 17 have increased during the last couple of months in the county despite distance learning measures, Mase said Friday. Although the recent outbreaks are from childcare centers, most cases are through contact with someone in the child’s household, she said.
As of Tuesday, there were a total of 1,786 active cases in Sonoma County. The county is under the state’s purple reopening tier, the most restrictive level, and does not meet requirements to enter the next tier with 10.3 cases a day per 100,000 people.
“Schools could reopen ... for inperson instruction when Sonoma County is in the red tier. That doesn’t look likely probably until the end of October,” Herrington said on Wednesday.