Picente confident schools can reopen safely

UTICA, N.Y. » Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente stated at a press briefing on August 12 that he’s confident in schools’ ability in the region to reopen safely.

The COVID-19 data for the county has largely been stable and within manageable metrics. Picente reported a hovering 1% infection rate for the county and the Mohawk Valley region, which he says is quite promising.

Officials looked to county data surrounding school-aged children, aged 5-18, for reassurance that schools could open their doors again in the fall. Of the county’s 2,148 reported infections from the beginning of the pandemic to August 12, 74 of those were children in that age range. That’s less than 4% of the population, Picente pointed out.

“It’s an outstanding indication of what has been done in this county,” he remarked. “Those numbers are minuscule compared to others.”

According to county data released August 14, 86 COVID-19 cases remain active, six of those are hospitalized within the county, and one is hospitalized outside the county. Picente said the Mohawk Valley region has more than enough hospital and ICU beds available to remain open given the state’s guidelines.

“I see no reason that schools could not be open in this county, regarding these numbers,” he said.

Meanwhile, Madison County has reported 10 active cases as of Saturday morning.

Many schools in the state have already submitted their reopening plans to NYS, and all of them vary to some degree. There are approximately 16 school districts in Oneida County, Picente said, and each family, student, as well as faculty/ staff will have various personal needs regarding reopening. Picente said he respects anyone’s decision to choose remote learning or otherwise.

He commented, “Now clearly [the virus] is always a cause for concern. We’re not saying that young people cannot get this. I’ve never said that from the beginning, no one has. The issue is those numbers have been very low.”

The county executive listed many reasons why returning to school is necessary. For some, school is the safest place to be, Picente argued, noting that many students rely on the security and consistency that schools provide; Homelife is not ideal for everyone, and can even be abusive and neglectful. Daycare availability is also an imminent issue for parents and guardians that can’t be ignored.

The remote learning style is not effective for many students as well, he remarked.

Ultimately, Picente’s stance on the matter of reopening was clear: “If any place can open safely, I believe that it’s here in Oneida County, and certainly in the Mohawk Valley region as a whole. We need our students back in school.”

Oneida County Public Health Director Phyllis Ellis went into detail about the role the health department will play in reopening and the impact that student, faculty, staff, and parent behaviors can have on controlling any outbreaks.

County government has created a separate unit and hotline for schools to connect with throughout the semester regarding the virus. Ellis emphasized that adhering to the guidelines in place such as social distancing, wearing a mask when appropriate, and keeping sick children home and away from others will be paramount to a successful school year.

“We’re not actually sending a whole bunch of kids back into a petri dish, so to speak. We’re going to do it smart, and we’re going to, hopefully, avoid any contacts that those children shouldn’t have,” she commented.

While mass-testing of students is not required, Ellis said parents will need to think critically about the risk their child is in and whether or not a test seems practical. Griffiss International Airport continues to be a site for free state-testing for all age groups.

Primary Urgent Care can also provide testing as well as rapid tests, if necessary, and Well Now is a resource as well, according to county officials. Co-pays may apply at urgent care centers depending on insurance coverage.

Ellis added that many students already recognize the importance a face covering plays in creating a healthy environment.

“They understand something’s happening. You don’t want them to be fearful, but you want them to know that they’re protecting themselves and protecting other people.” Schools have plans in place to educate both students and families on COVID-19 preventative culture and will encourage frequent hand hygiene while on site.

According to the county executive, one or two identified cases should not be cause for a mass shutdown in schools. “I think that causes undue panic and chaos in a situation where we’re more prepared to handle an outbreak.” The county, and the nation as a whole, has learned a lot about this virus since March, Picente commented.

Many industries are ability to reopen.

“We waited too long, I said we should of had this discussion back in April or May when we knew we weren’t going to open them up again. And instead, they waited until August 7, before these plans got submitted.” August 7 is when the governor announced that schools would be allowed to reopen, under certain infection criteria.

Picente looked to the example set by European and other countries who projected their ideas for reopening with prototypes and set examples. “When it came to schools [in NY], it could have been done in a really modeled manner, in terms of a prototype school set up in Albany, or somewhere, or throughout the state, showing schools a way that they could do this.”

Models for hygiene, classroom set up, and daily funcr County school districts have submitted on time. Officials suspect a technical error was the fault for many.

In other news, Picente detailed some financial matters concerning a meeting with the Board of Legislatures later on August 12. He said early retirement incentives would likely be passed to help county government recoup some financial losses this year as well as into 2021.

However, Picente said the upcoming budget will be “much, much leaner from what 2020 began as.” Several reductions are likely to occur if sales tax and other means of revenue don’t pick up. The county executive admitted urgently that “there’s a desperate need for federal aid.”

Additionally, Oneida County is committed to continue supplying special patrol officers (SPOS) to participating schools and pay 50% salary costs through the school year into June 2021, Picente said. This was an agreement established e three years prior by Oneida

County government.

LIVESTREAM SCREENSHOT/FILE Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente.