Thumbs up, thumbs down
Thumbs down to the lack of oversight of youth summer camps. The Office of Early Childhood licenses the camps, but reports that complaints about inappropriate behavior are commonly dismissed because investigators are limited by narrow guidelines. Hearst Connecticut Media Group tracked 112 complaints against summer camps filed with the agency between 2015 and 2020, so it’s not as though concerns aren’t raised. And they involve serious matters such as bullying and children left unattended. It’s a problem overdue for a solution.
Thumbs up to the state’s recently instituted Screen and Stay policy, which school officials say is helping keep more kids in classrooms even as the threat of COVID remains. While public schools have been open since the start of the current school year, in contrast to last year, there have been many disruptions. When cases arise, schools have to engage in contact tracing, which has led to quarantines for affected students, even if an infection is uncertain. This has made planning for students and parents an ongoing challenge. Under the new policy, there’s more flexibility to keep students in class, which is a relief to all parties.
Thumbs down to the continuing development of new COVID-19 variants. The latest news of what’s been dubbed the omicron variant has been greeted with a mixture of alarm and caution by public health experts, and already measures have been put in place to try to limit its spread. Experience shows, though, that those measure are likely too late and that its dissemination around the world is inevitable. The question then becomes whether vaccines are as effective against the new variation. The answer, as always, is to get as many people as possible vaccinated and stop the spread of COVID altogether. Anyone 5 and over is now eligible.
Thumbs down to rising prices apparently driving more Connecticut residents to local food pantries. This is a reminder to celebrate the noble work of staff and volunteers at food banks (thumbs up to them), but it’s discouraging to see some agencies report serving two to three times the number of clients they worked with prior to the pandemic. Data from Feeding America suggests that about one in eight people in Connecticut face hunger. Those rising prices impact the agencies as well, so keep them in mind when making donations during, and after, the holiday season.
Thumbs up to Connecticut police departments working together to recover 84 stolen vehicles over a twomonth period. The number illustrates just how serious this crime trend has been, as it does not include cars that are still missing. Police explained that modern cars are easy to steal when fobs are left in the vehicle, as thieves need only to try handles to see if the door opens and dashboards light up. Technology, it seems, makes the crime easier than ever.