The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
BACK TO SCHOOL PLANS
Oneida County releases recommendations for in-person learning
UTICA, N.Y. » Oneida County Executive Antony Picente thinks it’s about time schools fully reopen, and in support, Oneida County has provided school districts with “ideal” recommendations to support their in-classroom and transportation strategies.
The guidance, reviewed during a press conference on March 17, is backed by data showing that in-person learning is not a culprit of substantial COVID-19 spread, county officials noted. The county emphasized that these are just recommendations, school districts can make their own decisions, and the county does not have the authority to approve school reopening plans.
“On Feb. 12, 2021, Oneida County had a total of 18,798 positive cases with only 7.9% of those cases being children between the ages of 0-17. This is nearly a year’s worth of local data, showing that children are much less likely to get COVID-19 or transmit COVID-19,” the guidance stated. Also noted in the packet are findings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showing that less than 10% of COVID-19 cases in the United States have been among children and adolescents aged 5-17 years, and in-person school learning has not lead to “substantial community transmission.”
Picente said that months ago, when COVID-19 was soaring, he advocated for a universal pause on inperson activity, including schools. But today is different, he said, and vaccines are an added tool. A large percentage of teachers and staff have already received their shots. He noted that the county positivity rate is 1.2%, and has been in
“I’ve always believed that it is safe, and certainly vital, for students to return to school.”
— Oneida County Executive Antony Picente
that range on a seven-day average since mid-february. The county is currently averaging approximately 31 new cases per day, he said.
“I’ve always believed that it is safe, and certainly vital, for students to return to school,” Picente said.
The fact that high-risk sports have gotten the green light but basic in-person learning is still a hurtle does not sit well with the county executive.
“With New York state recently approving high-risk sports, it makes no sense that our children can’t sit next to each other masked on a bus, but can compete in a wrestling match. With case numbers down and vaccination rates rising, now is the time to get our students back in the classroom,” he said.
According to the county document, while all buildings/districts are different, the ideal classroom for full-time in-person learning could include:
• Teachers who are vaccinated; getting tested every 14 days; teaching behind an impermeable, clear barrier while wearing a mask; and wearing a mask and face shield when interacting with students.
• Students who sit no closer than 3 feet apart desk-to-desk and person-to-person (six feet is best); have an impermeable, clear barrier to work behind while wearing a mask; wear a mask and face shield when interacting with teachers and other students and not behind a barrier.
• Open windows when air temperature is above 45 degrees.
Ideal buses could include:
• At least 3 feet of separation between students unless they live in the same household, which would be achieved through sitting one child per seat.
• When that is not possible, students may sit two per seat while wearing a mask and a face shield.
• Students wearing masks, if able, and if not, increased social distancing around that child.
• Optional sneeze guards in between each seat and the driver’s area.
• Open windows when air temperature is above 45 degrees.
• Vaccinated drivers who are tested every 14 days.
• Earlier arrival and later departure times for students who do not use a bus for transportation.
Picente said that the county will aid districts by providing masks, as the county has been doing, and face shields as needed.
Joining Picente during the conference, Dr. Juleen Qandah, director at Primary Urgent Care in Utica and board-certified emergency room physician, shared that given her recent experience working with children in emergencies, it’s time to “sound the alarm” and get kids back to school.
“I am seeing first-hand in the emergency department the escalating pediatric psychiatric emergencies that have resulted from hybrid and virtual learning. I know at this point in time we’re doing more harm than good by not fully reopening our schools,” she stated.
She said she’s witnessed too many children patients seek emergency treatment relating to suicidal thoughts, self-mutilation, anxiety, depression, and even homicidal thoughts. Isolating children for long periods of time from their classroom peers is having a detrimental effect, she said, and the data shows it’s safe to get kids back at their desks with the proper safety measures in place.
“In-person learning is an essential service,” she added. Some students may take one to two weeks to adjust to the social interaction, she noted, but the majority are enthusiastic about getting back to school, she said.
“COVID does not transmit very well through children,” Qandah said of the data. Many COVID-19 cases that occur in schools often relate back to teachers and their outside activities, not students, she added.
Parents can make decisions about what’s best for their children, officials say, but having the option for in-person learning, at this point, is imperative.