Let’s face it: No way Stanislaus schools should open any time soon
Calls for schools to open in August with on-campus instruction throughout Stanislaus County are premature.
There is no way around this truth: We are stricken with an ugly COVID-19 surge. Until things get far better, our children are safer at home than mingling with others in classrooms. The health of thousands of teachers and other school staff must be considered as well.
Few predicted back in March, when schools began closing, that the coronavirus pandemic would hang around this long. Its slow start in Modesto and Stanislaus County, with only a few cases and no deaths the first month, gave many hope early on that our economy would rebound and things might quickly return to normal.
The feeling that we could beat this thing with only minor scrapes and bruises did not last.
As soon as stores and restaurants began reopening in May, our COVID numbers began rising. Protests drew crowds. People were seen all over without masks and were gathering unprotected in groups, especially on Memorial Day and Fourth of July weekends.
And the virus took off like nobody’s business.
Stanislaus has state’s highest infection rate for population
We’re more than four months into this thing, but more than half (52) of our 95 deaths have been reported in July alone, with 32 just in the past week. San Francisco and Ventura counties have more people than Stanislaus’ 550,660, but fewer deaths. Our positivity rate for tests in the last week is second to none in California and is three times the state average. Gov. Gavin Newsom mentioned Stanislaus County by name, among others, when announcing Monday that he will send $52 million in aid and three coronavirus strike teams to our San Joaquin Valley.
Since March, 669 children ages 5 to 18 years have been infected, including 204 in only the past nine days, Stanislaus health officials said Monday. “Imagine how many exposures would have occurred in our schools if they were currently open,” Dr. Julie Vaishampayan, our public health officer, wrote in a letter to the community.
The Modesto Bee Editorial Board two weeks ago praised the decisions of adults in the room who made difficult calls to slow the onslaught, specifically Newsom for reclosing several business sectors, and Stanislaus schools and public health officials for delaying in-class instruction. That opinion stands.
The schools directive means students and teachers will begin the school year with distance learning. Although some aspects of that model show promise, just about everyone agrees that in-person instruction is best for all, for myriad reasons including more effective learning, nutritious meals, mental health, home abuse reporting, student sports and parents’ lack of day care options.
But not when we’re in the middle of a highly contagious pandemic notorious for its ability to infect friends and family without carriers even knowing they’ve got it.
Test case, courtesy Major League Baseball
Examples abound of how the virus spreads in groups. Consider Major League Baseball, whose tentative restart produced just nine confirmed cases among players on the 30 teams in two weeks of preseason practice. Last week, the delayed season — with team travel in close quarters — officially began, with no fans in the stands. Within hours, the Miami Marlins’ outbreak had sickened 14 players and staff members, and now the entire MLB season is in question.
Professional baseball’s access to top-notch health care, including frequent testing and nearly immediate results, is second to none, and the Marlins still were powerless to stop the virus’ spread before more than a dozen were infected. It’s ludicrous to think Stanislaus classrooms with no access to such testing somehow could do better.
Some distant day, things will be better — for students, families and everyone who has put up with this COVID disaster. Until then, let’s stay the course, practice good hygiene, wear face coverings, keep our distance, and keep our kids safe.
This story was originally published July 28, 2020 at 4:22 AM.