Posted on 11/09/2020 12:56:56 PM PST by lightman
Pennsylvania’s health secretary said Monday that COVID-19 is spreading at a troubling rate, but the state has no plans for a statewide shutdown of schools similar to last spring.
However, the level of COVID-19 spread in many counties has the state advising local schools to shift toward remote learning or even cease classroom instruction.
“We absolutely do not plan to have a general school closure as happened in spring, but we might continue to make adjustments to our recommendations to schools,” Dr. Rachel Levine said. “Remember, all the guidance and recommendations are just that. They are not orders and there is local control in Pennsylvania and those decisions are being made by local authorities.”
The latest recommendations from the state call for schools to shift entirely to remote learning if the weekly COVID-19 incidence rate in their county is more than 100 cases per 100,000 residents, or the rate of positive COVID-19 tests is more than 10%.
As of Monday, 38 counties are above that threshold: Adams, Armstrong, Bedford, Berks, Blair, Bradford, Bucks, Butler, Cambria, Carbon, Centre, Clarion, Crawford, Dauphin, Delaware, Elk, Franklin, Fulton, Huntingdon, Indiana, Jefferson, Juniata, Lancaster, Lawrence, Lebanon, Lehigh, Luzerne, Mercer, Mifflin, Montgomery, Northampton, Northumberland, Philadelphia, Schuylkill, Tioga, Union, Venango, Wyoming. That’s about a dozen more than a week ago.
Still, many school districts in those counties may choose to continue classroom education, regardless of the state’s advice, Mark DiRocco, the executive director of the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators, said on Monday.
DiRocco noted that districts have the ability to find out the transmission rate in their specific zip code, which may be lower than the county rate. In that case, they might conclude it’s safe to continue classroom education, he said.
Moreover, if a district or school has few cases among its staff and students, it might conclude there are additional steps it can take to keep out COVID-19 without eliminating classroom learning. Or schools might cease classroom education at a specific school or school for a week or so, or for a longer period such Thanksgiving through the Christmas holidays, he said.
“It doesn’t mean the district has to shut down. But they have to weigh the recommendation from the department of health, talk to their solicitor, talk to their school board, then make the decision that’s in the best interests of students and staff,” DiRocco said. “I think what you’re going to see is a variety of approaches.”
The state’s official guidance to schools says such decisions “require a great deal of consideration of local factors including size of the school entity, classroom size, school resources, proportion of staff and students with special needs and underlying health conditions, and the ability to accommodate remote learning with equal access for all students.”
As of Monday, 1,735 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 in Pennsylvania, up 500 from a week earlier, and up more than 1,000 since the beginning of September.
Moreover, 52 of the state’s 67 counties have a positive test rate of more than 5%, meaning COVID-19 is spreading at a troubling rate. That’s 12 more counties than a week ago.
New Jersey on Monday announced new restrictions on bars and restaurants. Levine was asked if Pennsylvania plans any new restrictions, or might consider a return to the state-imposed red- and yellow-phased shutdowns of the spring.
She replied that Pennsylvania’s strategy for controlling COVID-19 centers on containing and mitigating spread and awaiting a vaccine to prevent it.
“We already have mitigation orders in place. There is a universal masking order in place. There are restrictions in terms of indoor capacity for restaurants and on large gatherings indoors and outdoors,” she said. “We will continue those and continue to enforce them.”
Levine said Pennsylvania hospitals aren’t getting overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients, although some small, rural hospitals in the northcentral part of the state are “challenged” by the increase in cases.
She said there’s an uptick in cases at long term care facilities, but “nothing like we saw in spring.”
That means there is still a level of trust in politicians and an acceptance of the replacement of our Constitution with the BOHICA doctrine.
WTF is it going to take to get the sheep to WakeTF up? Take the masks off!!
‘WTF is it going to take to get the sheep to WakeTF up? Take the masks off!!’
decrease the feminized influences on our society; females are great believers in fear...
If you know what feminized influence is capable of all that you better start sharing. I'm not blaming women for that. Men better rediscover their roots and reconnect with them PDQ.
Our enemy has been in the attack mode for most of the 20th century. They think they can smell victory; when America goes around masked and fearful of a lie, why shouldn't they?
Support Trump. It's our fight. Take your mask off, reclaim your life.
‘If you know what feminized influence is capable of all that you better start sharing. I’m not blaming women for that. Men better rediscover their roots and reconnect with them PDQ.’
I guess you haven’t noticed the rapid increases in female litigators at all levels of government, administrators in schools and corporate human resources positions, and in the medical and legal community; such is not coincidence but orchestrated design...
the above are the positions of power in the social structure, and caution and non-aggression are the hallmarks of that power...
‘Support Trump. It’s our fight. Take your mask off, reclaim your life.’
for the past six months, while Trump was in the presidency, mask mandates have been in place, and, in some places, enforced ruthlessly...no president has any effect on fighting a directive the power structure wishes to retain...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.