Experts: 3-foot rule in schools problematic in light of COVID variants | CIDRAP - Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy

Experts: 3-foot rule in schools problematic in light of COVID variants | CIDRAP

Experts: 3-foot rule in schools problematic in light of COVID variants

Halfpoint / iStock

Late last week the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued updated guidance on school reopening, saying that 3 feet, not 6 feet, of physical distancing between students was sufficient in most elementary schools—regardless of the level of community spread of COVID-19.

At the same time that CDC officials were updating school policy, they were also warning that B117, a variant strain 50% more transmissible than the wild-type virus, would likely become the dominant strain in the United States by April. In some states, such as Florida and California, the variant, which was first detected in the United Kingdom, already accounts for 25% of cases.

Now several experts are concerned that schools may be opening during an inflection point in the pandemic and are being misguided about how to do so.

CDC, states struggle with school openings

Across America almost all schools closed in March and April of 2020 as the pandemic entered its first wave and peaked in places like New York City. A barrier to reopening in the fall, especially in crowded, urban school districts, was that classrooms could not accommodate students with the CDC-recommended 6 feet of physical distancing.

The CDC said mounting evidence shows little difference in school transmission rates when students are separated by 3 or 6 feet, and it points to mounting research on student mental health, physical health, and even parental job security that shows that in-person instruction is superior for most American children and families.

"It's a balance," said Ruth Lynfield, MD, Minnesota state epidemiologist. Minnesota, along with Michigan, and North Carolina, has seen school-related B117 outbreaks spread into the community in recent weeks.

"We are in a race to vaccinate as variants spread, and currently kids and their parents are not vaccinated, so communities need to work that much harder to make in-person school happen," CONTINUE READING:  Experts: 3-foot rule in schools problematic in light of COVID variants | CIDRAP

glen brown: "Several experts are concerned that schools may be opening during an inflection point in the pandemic and are being misguided about how to do so"

glen brown: "Several experts are concerned that schools may be opening during an inflection point in the pandemic and are being misguided about how to do so"

"Several experts are concerned that schools may be opening during an inflection point in the pandemic and are being misguided about how to do so"

“Late last week the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued updated guidance on school reopening, saying that 3 feet, not 6 feet, of physical distancing between students was sufficient in most elementary schools—regardless of the level of community spread of COVID-19.

“At the same time that CDC officials were updating school policy, they were also warning that B117, a variant strain 50% more transmissible than the wild-type virus, would likely become the dominant strain in the United States by April. In some states, such as Florida and California, the variant, which was first detected in the United Kingdom, already accounts for 25% of cases.

“Now several experts are concerned that schools may be opening during an inflection point in the pandemic and are being misguided about how to do so.

CDC, states struggle with school openings

“Across America almost all schools closed in March and April of 2020 as the pandemic entered its first wave and peaked in places like New York City. A barrier to reopening in the fall, especially in crowded, urban school districts, was that classrooms could not accommodate students with the CDC-recommended 6 feet of physical distancing.

“The CDC said mounting evidence shows little difference in school transmission rates when students are separated by 3 or 6 feet, and it points to mounting research on student mental health, physical health, and even parental job security that shows that in-person instruction is superior for most American children and families.

“‘It's a balance,’ said Ruth Lynfield, MD, Minnesota state epidemiologist. Minnesota, along with Michigan, and North Carolina, has seen school-related B117 outbreaks spread into the community in recent weeks. ‘We are in a race to vaccinate as variants spread, and currently kids and their CONTINUE READING: glen brown: "Several experts are concerned that schools may be opening during an inflection point in the pandemic and are being misguided about how to do so"

NANCY BAILEY: Covid-19 School Contradictions, Confusion, and Mistrust

Covid-19 School Contradictions, Confusion, and Mistrust

Covid-19 School Contradictions, Confusion, and Mistrust

Covid-19 is a strange phenomenon without any proven how-to guides. Recommendations and contradictions surrounding Covid-19 and schools have raised uncertainty. When there’s a lack of clarity, people become suspicious of what they’re told, and they wonder what and who to believe.

Parents and Teachers Can’t Agree

Many parents believe schools are safe, few children get sick, Covid-19 is not real or not as bad as it’s made to sound, and teachers’ unions are remiss for their caution about in-person learning.

On the other hand, persons of color are hesitant to send their children back to school.

According to Mother Jones:

The pandemic has dealt a disproportionately heavy blow to Black Americans. According to CDC data published in September, Black youth accounted for 29 percent of COVID-19 deaths among people under 21, twice the percentage for white youth. The federal agency also found Black children under 18 at a significantly higher risk of hospitalization—almost four times higher than white children and teens.

Mixed Messages From the CDC, Pediatricians and Dr. Fauci

Parents who blame teachers for schools not fully opening, do so partly due to a sloppy push to make schools sound safe from the CDC, pediatricians, and Dr. Fauci.

Many claims ignore problems with school infrastructure and how schools work, while CONTINUE READING: Covid-19 School Contradictions, Confusion, and Mistrust

Education Matters: CDC social distance rule change was not about keeping people safe, it was about a campaign promise

Education Matters: CDC social distance rule change was not about keeping people safe, it was about a campaign promise

CDC social distance rule change was not about keeping people safe, it was about a campaign promise

The CDC changed its social distance guidelines, and I have no doubt the researchers found what they found. However, the reason they found it was more about keeping a campaign promise rather than keeping people safe.  

I like president Biden, but the only reason we are making this change is to keep his campaign promise to open more schools, and that with light finally at the end of the tunnel is inexcusable. 

The study sited has so many caveats you could drive a truck through it, and it is hardly representative of the country. They chose their set to study because they already had a conclusion they wanted to meet.  

This from the abstract,

Among 251 eligible school districts, 537,336 students and 99,390 staff attended in-person instruction during the 16-week study period, 

https://academic.oup.com/cid/advance-article/doi/10.1093/cid/ciab230/6167856

That might be impressive if it was from all across the country in districts big and small, rural and urban, but it wasn't. It was just from Massachusetts, and as you will see, it is only about half of this one safe.

This is Massachusetts. 

954,773 students

The Massachusetts public school system (prekindergarten through grade 12) operates within districts CONTINUE READING: Education Matters: CDC social distance rule change was not about keeping people safe, it was about a campaign promise

Mulgrew and Porter statements seem contradictory | JD2718

Mulgrew and Porter statements seem contradictory | JD2718

Mulgrew and Porter statements seem contradictory

How can they both be right?

I think that Mulgrew’s words have to be read very carefully. They have lawyers and others at 52 Broadway, I am guessing, who carefully help craft lawyerly ways of saying things. Everything written since last March has to be carefully parsed, not read at face value. Did he say something would not happen, or that he did not expect it? Did he say that something was wrong, or that the UFT would actually fight it? You can’t go by a first read. But in this case, he states details of the CDC guidance that are correct, and says it would be complicated, and that the DoE would have a lot to figure out. He does not say that the UFT would fight it. (I didn’t expect that). He does not say the UFT would fight the DoE if they violated state guidelines. (Too bad, I thought he might).

Read it yourself, see if you agree.

Meisha Porter is a new entity – and in her first meaningful act – sounds like Bill de Blasio is speaking. I’m not shocked to be disappointed, although I had hopes otherwise. And I’m a little surprised to be disappointed so swiftly. I think she is ignoring the State, and ignoring that there is no actual plan. I’m also not wild the way she addresses teachers. Lots of people make us feel like pawns, but sometimes it takes more than a week.

Read for yourself, see if you agree:

Dear Jonathan, The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention today released updated guidance saying only three feet of distance is required between students as long as everyone is wearing a mask. While we understand that the availability of vaccines and new information have prompted policies and CONTINUE READING: Mulgrew and Porter statements seem contradictory | JD2718

CDC Says Schools Can Now Space Students 3 Feet Apart, Rather Than 6 | 89.3 KPCC

CDC Says Schools Can Now Space Students 3 Feet Apart, Rather Than 6 | 89.3 KPCC

CDC Says Schools Can Now Space Students 3 Feet Apart, Rather Than 6

Updated March 19, 2021 at 12:46 PM ET

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has updated its guidance for schools. On Friday, the agency announced it "now recommends that, with universal masking, students should maintain a distance of at least 3 feet in classroom settings."

Previously the guidance stated, "Physical distancing (at least 6 feet) should be maximized to the greatest extent possible." The new guidelines still call for 6 feet of distance between adults and students as well as in common areas, such as auditoriums, and when masks are off, such as while eating. And the 6-foot distancing rule still applies for the general public in settings such as grocery stores.

The change is momentous because in many places around the country, the 6-foot guidance has been interpreted as requiring schools to operate on part-time or hybrid schedules to reduce class sizes. A 3-foot rule would allow many more schools to open in person full time.

The revision was spurred by some new research, including a study published March 10 in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, which looked at schools in Massachusetts, where districts were given a choice of distancing students either 6 or 3 feet apart, and where the majority of districts also required universal masking. The study included more than a half-million students who attended school in person last fall.

"We didn't see any substantial difference in cases among students or staff in CONTINUE READING: CDC Says Schools Can Now Space Students 3 Feet Apart, Rather Than 6 | 89.3 KPCC

Operational Strategy for K-12 Schools through Phased Prevention | CDC

Operational Strategy for K-12 Schools through Phased Prevention | CDC

Operational Strategy for K-12 Schools through Phased Prevention

Summary of Recent Changes

• Revised physical distancing recommendations to reflect at least 3 feet between students in classrooms and provide clearer guidance when a greater distance (such as 6 feet) is recommended.
• Clarified that ventilation is a component of strategies to clean and maintain healthy facilities.
• Removed recommendation for physical barriers.
• Clarified the role of community transmission levels in decision-making.
• Added guidance on interventions when clusters occur.

---

View Previous Updates

Key Points

1. Evidence suggests that many K-12 schools that have strictly implemented prevention strategies have been able to safely open for in-person instruction and remain open.
2. CDC’s K-12 operational strategy presents a pathway for schools to provide in-person instruction safely through consistent use of prevention strategies, including universal and correct use of masks and physical distancing.
3. All schools should implement and layer prevention strategies and should prioritize universal and correct use of masks and physical distancing.
4. Testing to identify individuals with SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination for teachers and staff provide additional layers of COVID-19 protection in schools.

On This Page

• Essential Elements of Safe K–12 School Operations for In-Person Learning
• Health Equity Considerations
• Prevention Strategies to Reduce Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in Schools
• Indicators of Community Transmission
• Phased Prevention
• Additional COVID-19 Prevention Strategies in Schools
• Testing
• Vaccination for Teachers and School Staff

Operational Strategy for K-12 Schools through Phased Prevention | CDC

CDC cuts school distancing requirements to 3 feet - POLITICO

CDC cuts school distancing requirements to 3 feet - POLITICO

CDC cuts school distancing requirements to 3 feet

The new guidance says three feet of separation is safe — if everyone is wearing a mask.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that students attending in-person instruction only need to stay 3 feet apart, rather than 6, as long as universal masking is maintained.

The agency’s new guidance, released Friday, recommends 3 feet of separation at elementary, middle and high schools in communities with low, moderate or substantial transmission. But the agency says middle school and high school students should stay 6 feet apart in communities where test positivity rates are 10 percent or higher and cohorting — when groups of students are kept together with the same staff throughout the day — is not available.

Six feet of distance is still in all schools recommended for staff, between staff and students, in common areas, when students are eating and during activities that require increased exertion such as gym class, choir or band practice.

The change comes more than a month after the Biden administration announced its school reopening guidelines Feb. 12. The CDC’s advice then recommended schools “establish policies and implement structural interventions to promote physical distance of at least six feet” and that “cohorting or podding” could help minimize exposure.

The agency soon after came under intense scrutiny by public health officials and scientists across the country who argued it was safe for schools to maintain 3 feet of physical distance to keep children safe. The dialogue was part of a larger conversation about how the agency’s guidelines included too many restrictions and would limit schools’ ability to reopen.

In a testimony this week before the House Energy and Commerce Oversight CONTINUE READING: CDC cuts school distancing requirements to 3 feet - POLITICO

Education Matters: Let's talk about social distancing in DCPS

Education Matters: Let's talk about social distancing in DCPS

Let's talk about social distancing in DCPS

 Social distancing is part of the whole trinity of protecting oneself and others from the coronavirus. It's also a lie that it is happening in our schools. I know it, you know it, and Greene and the board know it too, the difference is where we might be outraged and horrified the board and super are shrugging their shoulders. 

Have you ever heard the phrase bread and circuses? It's how the Roman emperors kept people content. The idea wasn't to fix their problems but to distract them from their problems. It's also the ancient version of telling parents we will protect your children by having them social distancing.

Let me tell you about my room. My room has nine students and three adults, and social distancing is impossible. Now imagine a class of 15, 20, or 30 children?  Well, it's a nightmare because most classes are that size or bigger, a byproduct of Greene and the board cajoling families to send students back to our schools. 

From the Tampa Times, 

Medical experts stress that masks and social distancing are key to mitigating the illness, noted Joanne McCall, the union’s executive director.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends staying at least 6 feet away from people you don’t live with. 

District negotiators said they empathized. But they suggested that, from a practical standpoint, keeping CONTINUE READING: Education Matters: Let's talk about social distancing in DCPS

Social-Distance Traveling during the Covid-19 Pandemic – radical eyes for equity

Social-Distance Traveling during the Covid-19 Pandemic – radical eyes for equity

Social-Distance Traveling during the Covid-19 Pandemic

For nearly a decade, I have been taking about a 2-week trip in July or early August for a cycling/brewery vacation. Many of the trips have been to Colorado, but also Asheville, NC and Fayetteville, AR (where I am sitting now).

To insure a good place to stay, reservations must be made many months ahead of this trip; so for the summer of 2020, I had secured and apartment near Old Town in Ft. Collins, CO many weeks before the reality of the Covid-19 pandemic occurred.

Beginning in early to Mid-March, my life has been changed significantly as it has been for most of the world. Also, I and my family as well as close friends have had to make decisions about how to navigate the pandemic in terms of social distancing.

Throughout the first phase of Covid-19, the shut-down phase, and into the phased-in reopening, I have taken a practical approach, recognizing the threat of the pandemic to myself and my communal responsibility.

I have maintained a semi-normal outdoor routine (I am an avid cyclist), but have stopped group riding (riding alone or with one or a very few other CONTINUE READING: Social-Distance Traveling during the Covid-19 Pandemic – radical eyes for equity

Do NOT Play Russian Roulette with Our Lives – No In-Person Schooling During a Pandemic | gadflyonthewallblog

Do NOT Play Russian Roulette with Our Lives – No In-Person Schooling During a Pandemic | gadflyonthewallblog

Do NOT Play Russian Roulette with Our Lives – No In-Person Schooling During a Pandemic

Are you responsible for gambling with another person’s life?

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court says “yes.”

Back in 1947, James Malone, 17, and William Long, 13, played a version of Russian Roulette during a sleepover.

Malone stole a revolver from his uncle and Long sneaked into his father’s room and got a bullet.

They put the cartridge in a chamber, spun the cylinder and then took turns pointing the gun at each other and pulling the trigger. On the third try, Malone put the gun to Long’s head, pulled the trigger and the gun fired, killing Long.

Malone was convicted of second degree murder even though he said he hadn’t intended to kill his friend.

The case, Commonwealth v. Malone, eventually went to the state Supreme Court where justices upheld the conviction.

They ruled:

“When an individual commits an act of gross recklessness without regard to the probability that death to another is likely to result, that individual exhibits the state of mind required to uphold a conviction of manslaughter even if the individual did not intend for death to ensue.”

Lawmakers and school administrators better  CONTINUE READING: Do NOT Play Russian Roulette with Our Lives – No In-Person Schooling During a Pandemic | gadflyonthewallblog

Assembly bill would shield California school districts from coronavirus lawsuits

Assembly bill would shield California school districts from coronavirus lawsuits

Assembly bill would shield California school districts from coronavirus lawsuits

A new education bill — which State Assemblymember Patrick O’Donnell, D-Long Beach — introduced this week seeks to limit liability related to the coronavirus for school districts this fall.

O’Donnell, who chairs the Education Committee in the California Assembly and is a high school history teacher, said his bill will help protect districts from COVID-19-related lawsuits as they try to reopen this fall. Many school districts, under the guidance from the state and their respective counties, will try to enact social distancing, sanitizing and other health polices to minimize the risk of the virus spreading.

In the wake of restaurants and other businesses reopening in recent weeks, Southern California has seen an increase in cases and hospitalizations, particularly in Los Angeles County, showing that enacting safety procedures doesn’t necessarily mean the virus won’t spread. (LA County this week shut down indoor dining for at least another three weeks.)

O’Donnell said he expected the legislature to pass the bill — which has as its coauthor state Sen. Susan Rubio, D-LA — before the summer session wraps up at the end of August.

“We need to do everything we can to protect the students, and the schools,” O’Donnell said Thursday, July 2. “My bill will indemnify (protect from lawsuits) school districts as long as they follow all the state and local health directives. We still want school districts to use best practices when it comes to student safety.”

Felton Williams, president of Long Beach Unified School District’s Board of Education, said student and employee safety was the top priority. While he declined to comment specifically on O’Donnell’s bill, he did say potential liability is an issue when discussing whether to bring students back to campus this fall.

“Liability weighs pretty heavily on us,” Williams said. “We will follow all the state and local guidelines. We rely on them. The safety and health of every student is paramount.”

O’Donnell said his bill, which he introduced to the Assembly on Monday, June 29, carves out workers compensation and other employee protections, so teachers and other staffers CONTINUE READING: Assembly bill would shield California school districts from coronavirus lawsuits

Barbara Madeloni: Educators, Remote Learning, and Reopening - LA Progressive

Educators, Remote Learning, and Reopening - LA Progressive

Educators, Remote Learning, and Reopening

Teachers Must Set the Terms for How and When Schools Reopen

dc]I[/dc]n a matter of days in mid-March, educators were expected to move classes online, work from home, and manage their own fear and uncertainty—all while worried for students whom they suddenly couldn’t see, talk to, or reassure.

Even veteran organizers were at a loss for what steps to take, except to focus on the immediate problems. How do we move classes online? Will students who depend on school for meals have enough to eat? What about the students with no internet?

Educators were managing awful conditions and not yet ready to shape those conditions, overwhelmed by the crisis at hand.

What needs to happen in order for schools to reopen? Do we have the power to make sure we reopen under those conditions?

As life under the pandemic settled into something like a routine, educators could see the coming storm. Dangers to health when schools re-open. Austerity budgets and job cuts. And then, one more video of police murdering a Black person—and the uprising that followed.

I asked educators: What needs to happen in order for schools to reopen? Do we have the power to make sure we reopen under those conditions? What are you or your union doing to build that power? Here’s what they told me.

Health and Safety First

While the CDC has released guidelines for the safe return to school, and the Teachers union (AFT) has done the same, it’s hard to see how these guidelines can be met without a huge influx of money.

While both sets of guidelines suggest flexibility based on the degree of the virus’s community spread, they require physical distancing, limits on size of gatherings, and testing and contact tracing when there is any community spread.

Health and safety was an issue before the pandemic. Too many schools are already over-crowded and in poor repair. “We have schools that don’t have hot water, no air conditioning, and ventilation systems that aren’t working properly,” said Deborah McCarthy, former president of the Hull (Massachusetts) Education Association and a fifth-grade teacher.

Teacher after teacher told me the safety guidelines would require smaller classes, more classroom space, and more educators. “We are going to need more buildings-and-grounds staff and more CONTINUE READING: Educators, Remote Learning, and Reopening - LA Progressive

Did the DoE really tell principals they are on their own? Yes | JD2718

Did the DoE really tell principals they are on their own? Yes | JD2718

Did the DoE really tell principals they are on their own? Yes

How should principals schedule for the fall? After a powerpoint, a letter, and a list of “guiding questions” the best the DoE has is “As we develop guidance on how to create your school’s schedule for the fall, updated resources will be posted”

Keep reading.

This is the letter that the principals received. I’ve un-linked all links. Sorry.

The attached capacity estimates were often wrong. In some cases, every room was wrong. In most cases the number of usable administrative rooms was wrong; their capacities were pretty universally wrong. Many of the registers were wrong.

But what’s worst, there is no guidance. There was no workable guidance in the DOE Planning Overview for Principal Meetings (the powerpoint).

There is a list of Guiding Questions for Principals. I’ve posted it at the end. They provide no guidance. In fact, they look like some idiots around a table batted around ideas, and every time they hit something way too hard for them to answer, they said, “That’s too hard for us. Let’s ask the principals.”

There are promises that the “guidance” will be updated. I do not believe that they will update, or if they CONTINUE READING: Did the DoE really tell principals they are on their own? Yes | JD2718

Will Congress Provide Fiscal Relief to Public Schools at an Austerity, Subsistence, or Investment Level? | janresseger

Will Congress Provide Fiscal Relief to Public Schools at an Austerity, Subsistence, or Investment Level? | janresseger

Will Congress Provide Fiscal Relief to Public Schools at an Austerity, Subsistence, or Investment Level?

In a NY Times column last week, David Brooks responded to the tragic police killing of George Floyd, a handcuffed black man, and the massive protests responding to the evident racism and inequality that underpin our society: “This moment is about police brutality, but it’s not only about police brutality. The word I keep hearing is ‘exhausted.’ People are exhausted by and fed up with the enduring wealth disparities between white and black, with the health disparities that leave black people more vulnerable to Covid-19, with the centuries-long disparities in violence and the threat of violence, with daily indignities on African-Americans and stains that linger on our nation decade after decade. The killing of George Floyd happened in a context—and that context is racial disparity. Racial disparity doesn’t make for gripping YouTube videos. It doesn’t spark mass protests because it’s not an event; it’s just the daily condition of our lives. It’s just a condition that people in affluent Manhattan live in one universe and people a few miles away in the Bronx live in a different universe. It’s just a condition that many black families send their kids to struggling inner-city schools while white families move to the suburbs and put on black T-shirts every few years to protest racial injustice.”

Brooks correctly identifies the problem: Structural inequality, segregation, and racism permeate our society.  But when it comes to a solution, Brooks looks to individuals, grants to neighborhood groups, and social entrepreneurship. Despite that injustice always involves systemic problems and that justice requires eliminating disparities in the system itself, Brooks suggests national service programs for young people, an endowment for civic architecture, Moving to Opportunity Grants, and even the Betsy DeVos solution, education savings account school vouchers for private education services (with the money coming out of public school CONTINUE READING: Will Congress Provide Fiscal Relief to Public Schools at an Austerity, Subsistence, or Investment Level? | janresseger