[1. Opening Items]
[00:00:08]
IT'S 3:31 ON MY COMPUTER, AT LEAST.
THIS IS A SPECIAL MEETING TO DISCUSS THE CHANGING SITUATION RELATING TO COVID DIAGNOSIS AND PLAN OF ACTION TO MOVE BACK IN SCHOOL, I GUESS.
DO WE HAVE A CALL TO ORDER, MOVE MOTION TO GO IN ORDER.
>> SECOND BY MR. BARTON. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR?
>> MICHELLE, CAN YOU HEAR US OKAY ON ZOOM IN? CAN WE HEAR MICHELLE, CAN MICHELLE HEAR US?
>> WELL, I GUESS I DIDN'T GET THAT MESSAGE.
OKAY. BECAUSE I COULD HAVE BEEN THERE.
>> SORRY FOR THE MISUNDERSTANDING.
IT WAS HECTIC. LET'S MOVE ON TO HAVE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
[2. Discussion]
>> BOARD, WE JUST HAVE ONE ITEM ON THE AGENDA THIS AFTERNOON.
THAT IS THE MASKING DISCUSSION FOR THE COMING SCHOOL YEAR.
DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA?
>> I MOVE WE APPROVE THE AGENDA FOR TODAY'S SPECIAL MEETING.
>> MOTION BY MR. BARTON, SECOND BY MS. DIGIACOMO.
>> THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU, MICHELLE.
WELL, EVERYONE, AS WE KNOW WE HAD OUR NORMAL BOARD MEETING A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO AND WITH THE INFORMATION AT THAT TIME WE FELT COMFORTABLE WITH OUR RECOMMENDING BUT NOT MANDATING MASKS.
THINGS ARE CHANGING IN OUR COUNTY AND AROUND US.
THEN IN ADDITION TO THAT, WHAT'S THE WORD I'M LOOKING FOR? THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE.
>> TRANSMISSION RATES WHAT NOT.
BESIDES THAT, I GUESS THE STATE SENT OUT FINAL DOCUMENTATION FRIDAY THAT WERE SHARED WITH US.
WITH THAT, I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO DR. SIMMONS.
>> THANK YOU, MR. NEWCOMB. AS I WORKED THROUGH PRESENTATION THAT WE PUT TOGETHER, I HAVE MRS. JENIOS WITH US, OUR SUPERVISOR OF HEALTH SERVICES, AND WE ALSO DO HAVE MRS. ROBIN K. HALL, OUR HEALTH OFFICER, IS ON THE ZOOM AS WELL.
IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AS THEY HAVE BEEN A VALUABLE PARTNER AND CONTINUE TO BE AS WE WORK THROUGH THE PANDEMIC.
ROBIN IS ON AS WELL, IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS THAT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT HAS.
AS WE TALKED ABOUT EVEN LAST YEAR WHEN THINGS WERE LOOKING MORE POSITIVE FOR RETURN TO SCHOOL, EVEN BACK, I BELIEVE AS EARLY AS MAY, AROUND THAT SAME TIME PERIOD, THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION PUT OUT THEIR RESOLUTION ASKING ALL SCHOOLS WILL BE OPENED 180 DAYS FOR AT LEAST 180 HOURS FOR IN-PERSON INSTRUCTION FOR ALL STUDENTS.
IT REMAINS THE TARGET THAT WE WANT TO HIT FOR.
LAST YEAR WAS A SURVIVAL YEAR.
LAST YEAR WE HAD SOME GOOD THINGS COME OUT OF IT.
WE HAD SOME STRUGGLES COME OUT OF IT.
BUT LAST YEAR WAS DEFINITELY IN ATYPICAL LEARNING YEAR.
WE DO KNOW THAT FOR MANY OF OUR STUDENTS THERE WAS A DISRUPTION TO THEIR LEARNING.
DO THE SIMPLE MATH OF IT, WE WENT FROM A SCHOOL YEAR, TYPICALLY OUR SCHOOL YEARS ARE 7.25 HOURS A DAY, WE HAD ABOUT A FIVE-HOUR SCHOOL DAY LAST YEAR.
WE ALSO HAD SPLIT DAYS WHERE KIDS WEREN'T IN IN-PERSON INSTRUCTION ON A REGULAR BASIS, ESPECIALLY THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR.
OUR SECONDARY SCHOOLS, WE ENDED UP GETTING TO A POINT WHERE WE GOT OUR LITTLE GUYS IN IT AT A HIGHER CLIP.
BUT FOR THE MOST PART, WE WERE SITTING AT ANYWHERE BETWEEN 30 TO 40 PERCENT OF OUR SECONDARY SCHOOL KIDS AND ELEMENTARY COULD RANGE ANYWHERE FROM 50 TO 70 PERCENT OF WHAT WE WERE IN.
WE'VE HIGHER RATES OF HABITUAL TRUANCY THAN WE'VE EVER SEEN BECAUSE IT WAS TOUGHER TO HAVE KIDS CONNECT THROUGH A DEVICE.
WE DO NOT WANT TO REVISIT AND END UP IN A SCENARIO WHERE WE HAVE TO GO BACK TO A HYBRID OR CONCURRENT TEACHING MODEL,
[00:05:03]
PUTS AN EXTREME STRESS ON OUR TEACHERS.ALSO, YOU LITERALLY CAN ONLY DEVOTE SO MUCH OF YOUR TIME IN FRONT OF YOU VERSUS ALSO ON THE SCREEN, PUTTING A LOT ON THE TEACHERS AND A LOT ON THE KIDS TO WORK THROUGH.
WE WANT TO TRY TO AVOID THAT AT ALL COSTS.
WE NEED TO BE OPEN FOR ALL OF OUR STUDENTS.
WE ALSO KNOW THE SOCIAL IMPACTS THAT HAVING AN ENTIRE YEAR DISRUPTED.
A YEAR AND A PIECE REALLY IF WE PUT THE OTHER PART IN.
WE'RE CLEARLY SEEING THOSE IMPACTS IN THE REGIONAL DATA AS WELL STATE DATA REGARDING NUMBER OF STUDENTS WHO ARE IN NEED OF MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES.
ALSO WE'RE SEEING IT IN TERMS OF, UNFORTUNATELY, I KNOW WITH THE OPIOID PANDEMIC AND OUR EPIDEMIC AND THOSE SORTS OF THINGS WE'RE SEEING THE NUMBERS THERE.
WE'RE VERY COMMITTED TO THE GOAL OF KEEPING OUR SCHOOLS OPEN FOR ALL OF OUR KIDS 180 DAYS, 1,080 HOURS FOR IN-PERSON INSTRUCTION.
I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT, THAT'S ALL KIDS.
WE ARE REQUIRED TO EDUCATE ALL KIDS IN CAROLINE COUNTY WHERE WE'RE REQUIRED TO KEEP THE DOORS OPEN FOR ALL OF OUR KIDS WHO ARE SCHOOL AGE POPULATION FOR CAROLINE COUNTY.
THAT ACTUALLY FITS EVERYBODY FROM OUR THREE-YEAR-OLD PROGRAM ALL THE WAY THROUGH OUR 21-YEAR-OLD PROGRAM, AT STUDENTS WITH HEALTH CONCERNS, STUDENTS WITHOUT HEALTH CONCERNS.
WE HAVE TO LOOK AT ALL OF THOSE THINGS AND MAKING OUR DECISIONS ABOUT HOW WE CAN SAFELY REOPEN FOR ALL KIDS.
NOW WE'LL COME INTO CONSIDERATION WHEN WE LOOK AT SOME OF THE IMPACT OF QUARANTINE GUIDELINES IN CONVERSATIONS AROUND DO YOU MASK OR NOT MASK? WANT TO TAKE A STEP NOW AND LOOK AT OUR DATA AS IT LOOKS RIGHT NOW IN TERMS OF CAROLINE COUNTY AS A WHOLE.
I CAN SPEAK TO THE DATA THAT'S THERE.
ROBIN, WHO'S ALSO ON HERE AS A HEALTH OFFICER, CAN SPEAK TO IT IN MORE DETAIL NEED BE.
BUT THE SHORT OF IT IS, CAROLINE COUNTY AND THAT'S THE LINE YOU SEE ON THE GRAPH HERE.
THIS COMES FROM THE MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH CORONAVIRUS SITE.
IT'S UPDATED EVERY DAY AT JUST ABOUT 10:00 AM.
THE DATA ALWAYS LAGS BY A DAY SO THIS IS THE MOST CURRENT DATA FOR TODAY.
AUGUST 17TH DATA WILL SHOW UP TOMORROW.
IT'S ALWAYS A DAY BEHIND ON THE POSITIVITY RATE.
CAROLINE'S POSITIVITY RATE HAS BEEN STEADILY INCREASING.
AS WE'VE HEARD, THE GOVERNOR MENTIONED 100 PERCENT OF ALL CASES IN MARYLAND ARE THE DELTA VARIANT.
BUT WE ARE SEEING A STEADY INCREASE IN CAROLINE COUNTY AND OUR AREA.
I DON'T RAISE THAT AS A POINT OF FEAR, I JUST RAISE THAT UP AS A POINT OF FACT, THAT TRANSMISSION HAS GONE UP.
THE CDC, WE HAVE PINGED THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS BETWEEN THE TWO HIGHEST LEVELS.
THE CDC HAS FOUR LEVELS OF RANKING FOR LEVELS OF COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION.
FROM MINIMAL, TO MODERATE, TO SUBSTANTIAL, TO HIGH.
THE LAST FEW DAYS WE'VE BOUNCED BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN SUBSTANTIAL AND HIGH.
WE'D BEEN AT A SUBSTANTIAL RATE ACTUALLY FOR PROBABLY A LITTLE OVER A WEEK.
WE DID PIVOT TO HIGH SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE MONTH. THANK YOU, JEN.
WE PIVOTED TO HIGH AND WE PIVOTED BACK TO SUBSTANTIAL AND IT'S LOOKING LIKE THAT'S GOING TO HOLD FOR A WHILE.
THE OTHER DATA POINT THAT I WANT TO POINT OUT BECAUSE THERE'S TWO IMPORTANT DATA POINTS THAT WE ARE TO LOOK AT AND SHOULD BE LOOKING AT ACCORDING TO THE GUIDANCE WE RECEIVED FROM MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH.
TWO OF THOSE FACTORS ARE YOUR POSITIVITY RATE, BUT ALSO YOUR VACCINATION RATE.
I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND THAT VACCINE IS A PERSONAL DECISION.
ONE HUNDRED PERCENT UNDERSTAND THAT, INDIVIDUALS HAVE THAT RIGHT TO MAKE THAT DECISION.
PARENTS HAVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE THAT DECISION.
BUT THERE IS AN IMPACT ON CERTAIN SITUATIONS WHEN VACCINATION RATES ARE NOT HIGH.
RACHEL, IF YOU COULD GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
OUR CURRENT VACCINATION RATES, THIS WAS AS OF YESTERDAY, DATA WE WERE ABLE TO GET FROM THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
AS A COUNTY, CAROLINE COUNTY'S VACCINATION RATE OF 12 YEARS UP AND OLD INDIVIDUALS SPACE, EVERYBODY'S ELIGIBLE FOR THE VACCINATION WAS 53.5 PERCENT.
LAST TIME I LOOKED, WE WERE THE SECOND LOWEST VACCINATION RATE ON THE EASTERN SHORE.
ROBIN, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S CHANGED.
SUMMER SET I BELIEVE WAS LOWER.
BUT I THINK WE STILL HOLD THAT DISTINCTION.
THE OTHER FACTOR IN THAT, SO TOTAL POPULATION WISE OF WHO'S ELIGIBLE WERE ABOUT HALF OF PEOPLE WHO WERE ELIGIBLE TO GET IT.
NOT THROUGH LACK OF EFFORT OR AVAILABILITY BY THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, BY CHOPTANK COMMUNITY HEALTH, BY WALGREEN'S, BY WALMART, BY PRIVATE PROVIDERS.
IT'S THERE. IT'S A CHOICE AND I GET THAT.
WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT VACCINATION RATES OVER 12 TO 17 YEAR-OLD OF THOSE IN OUR SCHOOL BUILDINGS WHO WERE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE THE VACCINATION.
RIGHT NOW WE'RE SITTING AT, THIS IS AS OF YESTERDAY, 21 PERCENT VACCINATION RATE FOR BASICALLY SEVENTH GRADERS AND UP.
TWELVE-YEAR-OLDS ARE ABOUT YOUR SEVENTH GRADERS.
I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT RANKS IN OTHER COUNTIES FOR THAT AGE GROUP, BUT IT IS STILL LOW.
IT'S NOT HIGH ENOUGH THAT WE CAN TRULY FACTOR IN A HIGH RATE OF VACCINATION IN TERMS OF OUR MITIGATION AND PREVENTION STRATEGIES IF WE'RE AT THE POINT OF
[00:10:02]
ABOUT ONE OUT OF EVERY FIVE KIDS THAT IS FULLY VACCINATED.WE'RE LOOKING AT THOSE TWO DATA POINTS, AND THOSE ARE TWO THAT REALLY DRIVE OUR LEVEL OF MITIGATION AND PREVENTION STRATEGIES WITHIN THE BUILDING THAT WE NEED TO PULL FROM.
LOOKING AT THAT, WE ALSO FACTOR IN OUR CONTACT TRACING AID, AND APPRECIATE MRS. YOST'S EFFORTS TO MAKE A SIMPLIFIED VERSION OF THE DECISION AID MATRIX. [LAUGHTER]
>> BECAUSE WHAT MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH GIVES YOU IS PRETTY CONVOLUTED, AND I'VE SAT IN MEETINGS BEFORE WHERE THEY SPENT AN HOUR TRYING TO GET YOU TO UNDERSTAND THEIR CHART, AND AT THE END OF IT YOU'RE STILL CONFUSED.
[NOISE] I APPRECIATE MRS. YOST'S EFFORTS TO MAKE IT AS SIMPLE AS WE POSSIBLY CAN.
IF WE WALK THROUGH, I'M NOT AT THE RISK OF ASSUMING THE BOARD CAN'T READ BUT FOR THOSE WHO MIGHT BE LISTENING AT HOME AS WELL, WALK THROUGH.
THE TWO BIGGEST FACTORS IN NEEDING TO QUARANTINE STUDENTS, VACCINATION STATUS AND WERE BOTH PARTIES ARE WEARING A MASK? THE TWO BIGGEST FACTORS IN QUARANTINING STUDENTS IS VACCINATION STATUS AND WERE BOTH PARTIES ARE WEARING A MASK? IF BOTH PARTIES WERE NOT WEARING A MASK, LET'S JUST SLOW THAT DOWN.
IF THE STUDENT WHO IS SICK, WAS EXPERIENCING COVID-LIKE SYMPTOMS IS ILL, WE START WITH; WAS THE STUDENT WEARING A MASK OR NOT? IF THE STUDENT WAS NOT WEARING A MASK, WE THEN HAVE TO DRAW A SIX-FOOT CIRCLE AROUND THAT STUDENT AND ANY KID, ANY INDIVIDUAL, WHO WAS WITHIN THAT SIX FOOT ARC FALLS WITHIN THE GROUPING OF WHO NEEDS TO BE QUARANTINED.
NOW, IF ONE OF THOSE CHILDREN WITHIN THAT SIX FOOT ARC ARE FULLY VACCINATED, THEY DON'T NEED TO.
BUT RIGHT NOW, OUR POPULATIONS IN PRE-K 3-6 GRADE ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR A VACCINE, AND OUR POPULATIONS WHO ARE IN GRADE 7-12 HAVE ABOUT A 20 PERCENT VACCINATION RATE.
A QUARANTINE IS A PERIOD OF ABOUT 14 DAYS, SO A STUDENT WHO RIGHT NOW HAS A CHOICE TO WEAR A MASK OR NOT, WOULD HAVE THE ABILITY, UNINTENDED, BUT IF THEY WERE SICK THEY WOULD DICTATE WHETHER A CHILD WHO WEARS A MASK GETS TO STAY IN SCHOOL OR NOT, IF THEY BECOME ILL. BECAUSE IF THEY'RE NOT WEARING A MASK, WE HAVE TO DRAW A SIX-FOOT CIRCLE.
>> ANYONE IN THAT [NOISE] SIX-FOOT CIRCLE WHO'S ALSO NOT VACCINATED WOULD BE GOING HOME FOR AT LEAST 10 DAYS?
>> UP TO 14, REGARDLESS IF THEY HAD IT OR NOT.
>> THAT IS, PARENTS THEN HAVING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO COVER THEIR KID NOT BEING IN SCHOOL, THAT'S COMPLETING THEIR WORK ASYNCHRONOUSLY, SENDING WORK HOME, FINDING TIME FOR TEACHERS TO CONNECT WITH THE [NOISE] KIDS HOWEVER THEY CAN.
BUT WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE THE SUSTAINABILITY TO PUSH HYBRID.
WE'RE TRYING TO LIMIT THE NUMBER OF QUARANTINES THAT WE DO HAVE, BECAUSE WE DO KNOW THAT FACE-TO-FACE INSTRUCTION IS SUPER IMPORTANT, AND WE ARE ALSO TRYING VERY HARD.
IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT SPORTS, IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES, BUT THOSE THINGS ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO OUR KIDS AND THEY MISSED SIGNIFICANT PARTS OF THEM OVER THE YEARS.
THE [NOISE] KID WHO GETS WRAPPED UP IN THE QUARANTINE BUBBLE AT SIX FEET, THEY'RE ALSO OUT OF THEIR SPORT FOR THAT SAME PERIOD OF TIME, OR THEY'RE OUT OF BAND, OR THEY'RE OUT OF THEIR EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES.
THAT COULD BE THE CASE FOR A CHILD WHO ELECTS TO WEAR A MASK, WHOSE PARENTS ELECT THAT CHILD TO WEAR A MASK, THEY'RE STILL GOING HOME FOR 14 DAYS.
THAT'S A HARD SELL FOR US TO A PARENT OF; I'VE MADE EVERY DECISION I CAN MAKING MY KID MASK.
WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING, WE'VE GOT TO SEND THEM HOME. [NOISE]
>> IF THEY'RE VACCINATED AND THEY'RE NOT IN A SIX-FOOT CIRCLE.
>> THEY DON'T HAVE TO GO HOME?
>> YOU JUST HAVE TO MONITOR THEM.
>> THAT'S ONLY FOR CHILDREN ABOVE THE AGE OF 12?
>> IF THEY'RE VACCINATED, THE RECOMMENDATION IS THEY TEST THREE TO FIVE DAYS AFTER EXPOSURE, [NOISE] WEAR A MASK WHILE THE RESULTS ARE PENDING.
>> IF YOU'RE FULLY VACCINATED, THE RECOMMENDATION IS YOU TEST THREE TO FIVE DAYS AFTER EXPOSURE AND YOU WOULD HAVE TO WEAR A MASK WHILE RESULTS ARE PENDING OR FOR 14 DAYS.
>> THAT'S WHAT IT SAYS ON THE BOTTOM OF THE CHART.
>> PRE-K ROUGHLY THROUGH 3-6 GRADE. [OVERLAPPING]
[00:15:02]
>> SORRY ABOUT THAT. THEY HAVE TO QUARANTINE AND THERE'S NOTHING WE CAN DO ABOUT THAT, AND FOR THE 12 AND ABOVE, THAT'S ONLY ROUGHLY ONE IN FIVE STUDENTS.
THE REALITY IS, FOUR OUT OF FIVE STUDENTS WOULD FALL INTO THE 11-14 DAY QUARANTINE.
IF STUDENTS ARE WEARING A MASK AND IF WE CAN SPACE THEM THREE FEET APART, THEN IF SOMEBODY IS POSITIVE IN THE CLASSROOM, THEN THOSE THAT ARE AT LEAST THREE FEET FROM THAT PERSON, THEY WOULD BE SAFE, THEY WOULD NOT HAVE TO QUARANTINE.
>> MRS. YOST IS RAISING THE OTHER SIDE OF THE GRAPHIC.
>> THAT A DECISION BY THE COUNTY MOVING FORWARD, THAT WOULD BE EVERYONE WEARS MASKS.
>> TAKES YOUR BUBBLE SIZE FROM SIX-FOOT TO THREE FOOT.
AGAIN, YOU'RE A CLASSROOM TEACHER.
TRADITIONAL CLASSROOM SETUPS ARE THREE-FOOT CIRCLES AROUND THE DESK.
WHEN YOU SET YOUR DESKS, THEN YOU MAKE YOUR ROOM TO ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO MOVE.
IN ALMOST EVERY CLASSROOM, IT'S NOT AN ISSUE HITTING A THREE-FOOT CIRCLE.
AT THAT POINT IN TIME, AT A THREE-FOOT, ADD A UNIVERSAL MASK MANDATE FOR A PERIOD OF TIME.
IT LIMITS NUMBER OF QUARANTINES THAT WE HAVE TO DO BASED ON CONTACT WITHIN A CLASSROOM.
WITH MASK FOR ALL, WE'RE SITTING AT A SIX-FOOT CIRCLE, WHICH IS GOING TO TAKE OUT A LOT MORE KIDS.
>> OUR GOAL IS TO GET THE STUDENT, NOT ONLY TO GET THEM IN SCHOOL, BUT TO KEEP THEM IN SCHOOL.
>> I CAN SEE US BEING ABLE TO DO THREE-FOOT CIRCLES IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.
WHAT ABOUT IN THE MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLS, ARE WE ABLE TO DO THREE-FOOT DISTANCES BETWEEN STUDENTS?
>> IN SPEAKING WITH THE PRINCIPALS WE'VE BEEN MEETING THE LAST TWO DAYS, EVERYONE FEELS VERY CONFIDENT THAT WE CAN HIT THE THREE-FOOT DISTANCING.
>> WE'RE VERY CLOSE TO THAT IN JUST ABOUT EVERY CLASSROOM SITUATION.
OUR CHOKE POINTS, MRS. WAYMAN, ARE GOING TO BE CAFETERIA AND BUS, AND WE KNOW THAT.
BUT IT'S EASIER FOR US TO OPERATE WITH A SMALLER CHOKE POINT THAN IT IS TO HAVE EVERY SINGLE CLASSROOM BEING AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ADDITIONAL CLOSE CONTACTS.
>> MORE PEOPLE EXPOSED TO MORE CLASSES THEY ARE IN.
>> COULD A NON-VACCINATED STUDENT NOT WEARING A MASK, RETURN AT SEVEN DAYS, IF THEY HAD A TEST AT FIVE DAYS AFTER EXPOSURE?
>> CORRECT GUIDANCE FROM THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT BASED ON WHAT'S GOING ON LOCALLY, THEY'RE ADVISING THAT WE AT MINIMUM HAVE A 10 DAY QUARANTINE.
>> THAT'S LOCAL, THAT'S NOT WHAT THE CDC IS RECOMMENDING.
THAT'S ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT THEY'RE RECOMMENDING.
>> THE CDC SAYS 14 DAYS IS THE BEST, BUT IF YOU WERE TO SHORTEN A QUARANTINE PERIOD, SOMEBODY COULD COME BACK AFTER 10 DAYS AS LONG AS THEY REMAIN ASYMPTOMATIC, WEAR A MASK ON THE DAYS 11-14.
>> NOT SEVEN DAYS, AFTER A FIVE-DAY OF EXPOSURE. [OVERLAPPING]
>> THEY DO SAY THAT'S ANOTHER OPTION, BUT WE'RE FOLLOWING OUR LOCAL HEALTH OFFICIALS.
>> WE'RE GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS RECOMMENDED.
>> IT'S A RECOMMENDATION. THEY STILL SAY 14 DAYS IS THE BEST.
>> BUT THEY'RE RECOMMENDING THAT WE COULD DO SEVEN DAYS IF WE CHOSE TO.
>> BUT THERE STILL IS THAT POINT OF BEING CONTAGIOUS, DEVELOPING SYMPTOMS DAY 7-14.
>> THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS RECOMMENDING THAT, WE'RE RECOMMENDING AN ADDITIONAL THREE DAYS.
>> THE LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS RECOMMENDING ADDITIONAL THREE DAYS.
>> WELL, IT'S IN THE CDC GUIDANCE AS WELL, THEY LIST ALL THREE STRATEGIES AS WELL AS THE MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH.
>> THAT IS A STRATEGY THEN THAT THEY LIST.
I JUST WANTED TO SEE IF I READ IT CORRECTLY OR NOT, THAT'S WHY I WAS ASKING. [OVERLAPPING]
>> YOU'RE SAYING THEY RECOMMEND 14, I'M GETTING A LITTLE CONFUSED BECAUSE THEY RECOMMEND 14. [OVERLAPPING]
>> THEY SAY 14 IS THE SAFEST OPTION, BUT IF WE WERE TO CONSIDER A SHORTENED, WE START TO WEAR MASK, MONITOR FOR SYMPTOMS. I APPRECIATE THE CONVERSATION AND THE INFORMATION BECAUSE TO ME, EVEN TWO WEEKS AGO WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS, EVEN NOW I PERSONALLY SAY, TRANSMISSION AND ACQUIRING THE DISEASE WAS ONE THING.
THE AFTER-EFFECTS OF THIS BECAME CLEAR TO ME, FRIDAY, WHEN IT WAS SENT OUT, OF THE IMPACTS OF QUARANTINE ON WHETHER YOU'RE VACCINATED OR NOT VACCINATED OR MASS, THE CONTINUITY TO EDUCATION AND THE PARENT AND THE LIFESTYLE AT HOME.
I'M FEELING A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY ABOUT IT, I'LL SAY IT, BUT IT'S NOT EVEN STILL ABOUT THE TRANSMISSION BECAUSE I ALSO KNOW WHAT THESE KIDS ARE DOING AFTER SCHOOL, [OVERLAPPING] ON WEEKENDS, IN CLUBS, SPORTS, AND EVERYTHING.
NOT THAT THEY'RE DOING ANYTHING WRONG.
[OVERLAPPING] FAMILIES ARE MAKING THEIR OWN DECISIONS.
[00:20:01]
I THINK THE OUTBREAK AT LEAST LOCALLY IT'S INCREASED, BUT OUR HOSPITALS AREN'T OVERRUN YET.BUT THE FAMILIES ARE GOING TO DO WHAT THEY ARE GOING TO DO.
MY ISSUE NOW IS, HOW DO WE AS THE SCHOOL SYSTEM STABILIZE AN EDUCATIONAL PROCESS FOR THESE KIDS? THE ELEMENTARY AS RICK POINTED OUT, YOU'RE LESS THAN 12 YEARS OLD, YOU'RE NOT VACCINATED IN ANY WAY, BUT EVEN FOR THE OLDER KIDS WHO ARE IN EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES AND THERE'S BAND OR SPORTS, HOW DO WE MARK EVEN IF THEY'RE OUT FOR SEVEN DAYS? [OVERLAPPING]
>> I UNDERSTAND. THAT SOUNDS BETTER THAN 10, BETTER THAN [OVERLAPPING] WE'RE MORE TALKING ABOUT MORE KIDS EACH DAY THAT ARE GOING HOME AND WE'RE GETTING SOME BACK, I'M JUST SAYING, IN MY OPINION, IF WE WANT THEM IN THE CLASS, UNDERSTAND THE SAFETY ASPECT OF IT.
I JUST WANT TO SAY IF SOMEBODY WAS RECOMMENDING SEVEN, IF I DID READ IT CORRECTLY AND IF THAT'S THE CASE, THAT'S THREE MORE DAYS THE KIDS WE CAN GET BACK BEFORE WE HAVE [OVERLAPPING] THERE'S THIS COMPOUND AND AS FAR AS EACH DAY IF WE'RE GETTING MORE AND MORE EACH DAY THAT'S THREE DAYS WORTH OF KIDS WE'RE GETTING BACK EACH TIME.
THAT'S ALL I WAS TRYING TO SAY.
BASICALLY DID I READ IT CORRECTLY.
THEN B IT'S JUST AN OPTION, THERE'S THREE EXTRA DAYS, THAT'S WHY I WAS ASKING YOU.
I UNDERSTAND THE ASPECT, IN THE BIG PICTURE IS THIS THE BEST THING? I GUESS IS THE BEST WAY TO PUT IT, BUT I'M JUST ASKING A QUESTION.
>> YEAH. I UNDERSTAND THIS CORRECTLY.
SOMEONE WHO IS QUARANTINED DOESN'T GET IT, BUT THEY ARE EXPOSED, MASK OR NO MASK, VACCINE OR NO VACCINE [INAUDIBLE] IF THEY HAVE HAD VACCINE OR NOT THEY'RE QUARANTINED.
>> IF THEY'VE HAD THE VACCINE, THEY DON'T NEED TO QUARANTINE.
>> THE YOUNGER CHILDREN ARE NOT ELIGIBLE.
IF YOU'RE 10 YEARS OLD, YOU ARE QUARANTINED.
YOU DO YOUR 10 DAYS OR SEVEN, YOU COME BACK TO SCHOOL, FIRST DAY BACK YOU GET EXPOSED AGAIN.
SEVEN MORE DAYS. [OVERLAPPING] COME BACK AGAIN TWO DAYS LATER YOU GET IT AGAIN AND YOU HAVEN'T GOTTEN SICK YET [OVERLAPPING]
>> I WOULD ASSUME IF WE DID NOT MANDATE MASKS BY THE TIME THAT STARTED TO HAPPEN, WE'D BE BACK IN HERE MEETING AGAIN BECAUSE SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN.
HONESTLY, IF WE DIDN'T START THE SCHOOL YEAR OFF WITH MASKS, I THINK AS SOON AS WE REALIZED THERE WAS A PROBLEM, EVERYBODY, INCLUDING PEOPLE THAT ARE SKEPTICAL OF IT, WOULD REALIZE WHAT THIS IS.
>> WHAT IS THE PERCENTAGE OF THEM? 21 PERCENT?
>> HOLY SMOKES. I GUESS THEY WANT TO WEAR MASKS OR THEY DON'T WANT TO BE IN SCHOOL.
[OVERLAPPING] THEY GET TO MAKE THEIR CHOICE.
>> THERE IS UNCERTAINTY WITH EITHER THING.
>> I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY PEOPLE AREN'T GETTING VACCINATED.
>> IF THEY COME BACK [OVERLAPPING].
IF THEY DON'T TAKE IT SERIOUSLY, THEY ARE GOING TO BE SORRY.
>> IF COME BACK IN SEVEN DAYS, THEY HAVE TO WEAR THE MASK FOR SEVEN MORE DAYS.
>> WELL, THE GUY [OVERLAPPING] EVERYBODY'S WEARING A MASK.
IF WE DID THE UNIVERSAL MASKING WE COULD GET KIDS BACK SOONER.
>> CLOSE CONTACT'S WEARING THEM AS WELL.
>> YES. SO THE NEXT THEME, RACHEL, IF YOU WANT TO GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE AND I'LL DO MY BEST TO STAY SEATED THAN NOT DRIVE MARK CRAZY BECAUSE I LIKE STANDING UP WITH WHEN NEAR THE DIAGRAM, SO I WON'T MOVE MARK.
>> IS THAT THE LITTLE ELECTRICAL WIRING [OVERLAPPING].
>> IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A CONFUSING DIAGRAM, BUT ONCE YOU FIGURE OUT WHAT IT IS, IT'S HOPEFULLY NOT.
WE TRIED TO DO IS DO SORT OF BASICALLY A TYPICAL CLASSROOM SETUP.
IS THIS EVERY SINGLE CLASSROOM IN CAROLINE COUNTY? NO, BUT IT'S A TYPICAL SETUP OF WHAT YOU WOULD SEE.
WITH A TRADITIONAL ROW SETUP, OR IF YOU'RE LOOKING MORE OF LIKE A LAB SETUP, ON THE TOP SEGMENT, THE TOP HALF OF THE DIAGRAM, LOOKING AT, THE RED DOT IS THE ONE PERSON WHO'S POSITIVE.
WITH THREE FEET, THERE ARE NO CLOSE CONTACTS IN THAT, SO THERE'S NOBODY TO QUARANTINE.
THERE'S NO YELLOW CIRCLES AT THREE-FOOT OF A CIRCLE.
THE TOP IS THE WITH MASK, THE BOTTOM IS WITHOUT.
IF WE GO WITHOUT MASK, THE BOTTOM DIAGRAMS POINT OUT IN THOSE CLASSROOMS. THANK YOU FOR HIGHLIGHTING WITH THE CURSOR, RACHEL.
THAT'S WHAT A SIX-FOOT CIRCLE DOES FOR THE NUMBER OF KIDS THAT END UP HAVING TO GO ON QUARANTINE.
IS IT EVERY SINGLE CLASSROOM? NO. I WANT TO BE CAREFUL AND SAY NO, NOT EVERY SINGLE CLASSROOM SETS THE ROOMS UP THIS WAY.
THIS IS A TYPICAL CLASSROOM STRUCTURE OF THE WAY IT WAS SET UP AND THE IMPACT OF THE SIX FEET VERSUS THE THREE FEET.
WHAT I WILL SAY TO THINK ABOUT, AND I THINK THIS IS AN IMPORTANT POINT.
OUR MIDDLE SCHOOLS AND HIGH SCHOOLS CHANGE COURSES A LOT DURING THE DAY.
TYPICAL MIDDLE SCHOOL KID HAS SIX OR SEVEN CLASSES.
TYPICAL HIGH SCHOOL HAS FOUR OR FIVE. THEY ARE MOVING.
[00:25:03]
WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT CLOSE CONTACTS, THIS IS EVERY SINGLE CLASSROOM THEY GO IN FOR TWO DAYS PRIOR TO BEING SYMPTOMATIC.CONTACT TRACING GOES BACK TWO DAYS TO THE ONSET OF SYMPTOMS. YOU'RE GOING BACK TO WHO THEY WERE AROUND.
THE KID WHO WAS LIKE, "OKAY, I CAME INTO SCHOOL, I DON'T FEEL WELL." "GO STRAIGHT TO THE NURSE." THAT DAY WE MIGHT NOT HAVE ANYBODY TO CONTACT TRACE, BUT WE GOT TO GO BACK TO THE TWO PREVIOUS DAYS IF THEY WERE SCHOOL DAYS AND SAY, WE ALWAYS PICK ON JOHNNY.
"WHO WAS JOHNNY SITTING AROUND ON THOSE TWO DAYS?" THEN THOSE ARE PEOPLE WHO FIT WITHIN THAT RADIUS.
THAT'S SORT OF THE REAL-LIFE EXAMPLE OF WHAT THE CONTACT TRACING LOOKS LIKE WITH A SIX-FOOT WITH MASK OPTIONAL VERSUS REQUIRING MASKS.
>> IN REALITY, I MAY BE WRONG, BUT I THINK IT MAY LOOK A LITTLE WORSE BECAUSE WE ARE TALKING ONE IN FIVE STUDENTS BEING VACCINATED.
THE CHANCES OF HAVING ONE POSITIVE CASE IN A CLASSROOM AT THE MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL, THE CHANCE OF ONE POSITIVE IS SLIM.
>> THAT'S A GOOD POINT. MS. [INAUDIBLE].
WE DID THE DIAGRAM ASSUMING ONE PER CLASSROOM TO SHOW.
BUT YES, IF THERE'S A HIGHER RATE OR RATE OF TRANSMISSION IN THE COMMUNITY, YOU COULD HAVE MORE.
WE DON'T WANT TO FIND OURSELVES IN A POSITION WHERE WE'RE HAVING TO SHUT DOWN A CLASSROOM BECAUSE OF THE CLASSROOM LEVEL OUTBREAK OR SHUTTING DOWN A SCHOOL.
THAT'S THE ABSOLUTE LAST THING THAT I WANT TO DO.
I WANT US TO BE IN A POSITION THAT IF WE'VE DONE THE UNIVERSAL MASKING, WE LIMIT THE NUMBER OF CONTACTS, CLOSE CONTACTS THERE ARE LIMITS THE NEED TO HAVE TO SHUT DOWN A CLASSROOM AND SEND HOME 25 KIDS VERSUS TWO.
>> I THINK THAT'S A GOOD GRAPHIC.
MICHELLE, I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT UP THAT POINT, BECAUSE IF WE LOOK AT THAT THREE-FOOT WITH RED POSITIVE CASE, BUT YOU ASSUME NONE OF THEM JUST SAY IT'S FOUR OUT OF FIVE AREN'T VACCINATED, ASSUME THAT'S A CLASS OF ALL UNVACCINATED KIDS, THIS PREVIOUS FLOWCHART, EVEN THEY WEAR ALL MASKS, IF THAT CLASSROOM WAS ALL VACCINATED KIDS, EVEN AT THREE FEET, WOULD THEIR SURROUNDING ONES HAVE TO BE QUARANTINED OR NOT?
>> OKAY, SO IF THEY'RE NOT VACCINATED [OVERLAPPING]
>> IF THEY ARE THREE FEET AND WEARING A MASK THEY WOULDN'T HAVE TO.
>> OKAY. THAT GRAPHIC IS ACTIVE.
>> WE WOULD BE LOOKING AT THE BUS, WE HAVE CHARTS FOR THAT AND WE'D ALSO HAVE TO CONTACT TRACE THE CAFETERIA.
>. THOSE WOULD BE THE ONES YOU'D HAVE TO LOOK AT.
>> HALLWAYS SHOULD NOT BE SPENDING MORE THAN 15 MINUTES.
IT SHOULD BE SPENDING 15 MINUTES TOGETHER TO THE [OVERLAPPING].
MARK, IF WE'VE GOT A KID HANGING OUT THE HALLWAY FROM 150 THAT SHOULD BE ANOTHER [OVERLAPPING] OTHER CONCERNED, YEAH.
>> YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING.
>> THE CLOSE CONTACT IS 15 [OVERLAPPING].
>> [OVERLAPPING] WITHIN THREE FEET OF EACH OTHER IN THE HALLWAY.
>> BECAUSE IT'S LIKE SARDINES. BUT I HAVE A QUESTION.
OKAY, THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT OBVIOUSLY TOO, BUT WHAT ABOUT STAFF? BECAUSE IF YOU HAVE STAFF GETTING DOWN, THAT'S A WHOLE OTHER PROBLEM.
>> THE THREE-FOOT RULE DOESN'T APPLY TO STAFF.
THEY HAD THAT LITTLE CAVEAT IN THE CDC GUIDANCE, SO IT'S STAFF THAT WERE WITHIN SIX FEET OF A POSITIVE.
>> SO FOR US WHAT IS CRITICAL IS INCREASING VACCINATION RATES FOR OUR STAFF.
>> WE HAVE A DECENT RATE RIGHT NOW.
>> WE HAVE A PRETTY GOOD RATE RIGHT NOW.
WE DON'T HAVE AN EXACT NUMBER.
WE SURVEYED STAFF TOWARDS THE MIDDLE AND THE END OF LAST YEAR, ROUGHLY, WE WERE PROBABLY IN ABOUT A 65 TO 70 PERCENT RANGE, WE BELIEVE OF STAFF.
WE NEED TO RESERVE AGAIN TO SEE WHERE WE ARE NOW.
BUT THE VACCINATION OF STAFF IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL TO KEEPING THEM IN AS WELL.
BECAUSE AGAIN, THE VACCINATED PERSON DOES NOT HAVE TO QUARANTINE UNLESS YOU'RE ACTUALLY SICK.
IF YOU'RE SICK YOU SHOULDN'T BE WORKING ANYWAY, YOU SHOULD BE HOME GETTING BETTER.
BUT THE VACCINES ON STAFF IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.
JUST AS IMPORTANT AS IT IS FOR 12 TO 18-YEAR-OLDS.
>> I JUST WANTED TO SAY, SO FOR THE STAFF MEMBERS, VACCINATED, ENHANCE THE MASK.
STUDENT COMES UP POSITIVE IN THEIR CLASS.
>> THEY DON'T NEED TO QUARANTINE.
>> [OVERLAPPING] IT'S RECOMMENDED THEY TEST THREE TO FIVE DAYS AFTER.
>> WE PROVIDE TESTING IN ALL OF OUR BUILDINGS THROUGH CHOPTANK COMMUNITY HEALTH AND CHOPTANK COMMUNITY HEALTH IS ALSO WILLING TO DO SCREENING IF ANY STAFF MEMBERS WHO WISHES TO BE SCREENED.
>> I THINK EVERYBODY HAS BEEN MORE SELF-AWARE, ESPECIALLY PROFESSIONALS NEED TO BE MORE ADULTS NEED TO BE MORE SELF-AWARE.
[00:30:03]
THIS IS GOING IN THIS DIRECTION, THE CDC WITH STUDENTS IN THE BUILDING, HOW ABOUT PROFESSIONAL STAFF BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL?>> OF WHAT THE SCHOOL LITERAL PROTOCOLS.
I WORK FOR A BANK AND THE PEOPLE WITH CUSTOMERS COMING IN AND OUT DOWNSTAIRS WHERE THE BANKING IS, THEY HAVE TO WEAR MASKS ALL DAY.
>> THOSE OF US WHO'S SITTING UPSTAIRS, IN OUR OFFICE WITH NOT ANY TRAFFIC, WE DON'T.
SO WHAT ARE OUR PROTOCOLS FOR STAFF?
>> MY RECOMMENDATION WHICH IS ON THE NEXT SLIDE, THE PLAN THAT I WOULD BE RECOMMENDING TO IMPLEMENT, IT'D BE UNIVERSAL INDOOR MASKING FOR ALL TEACHERS, STAFF AND STUDENTS AND VISITORS TO OUR SCHOOLS REGARDLESS OF VACCINATION STATUS AND WHEN STUDENTS ARE PRESENT.
>> WHEN STUDENTS ARE PRESENT. ALL RIGHT.
>> I'M EXPECTING STAFF TO BE RESPONSIBLE, AS I KNOW, THEY WILL, I TRULY DO KNOW THAT THEY WILL BE AND BELIEVE THEY WILL BE.
IF THERE ARE NOT KIDS IN THE BUILDING THEY'RE GOING TO SPACES THEY NEED TO.
IF THEY'RE NOT VACCINATED, WE'RE GOING TO RECOMMEND THAT THEY WEAR A MASK, WOULDN'T WANT OUR STAFF TO GET VACCINATED, WE'RE NOT REQUIRING VACCINATIONS SO WE WANT THEM TO BE SAFE.
BUT IT WOULD BE WHEN STUDENTS ARE PRESENT IN THE BUILDING.
>> WHY DO VACCINATED STAFF HAVE TO WEAR MASK?
>> VACCINATED WOULD NOT. UNVACCINATED.
>> VACCINATED STAFF DO NOT HAVE TO WORRY.
>> VACCINATED STAFF WOULD NOT NEED TO IN THIS SCENARIO, AND WORKING WITH OUR KIDS ON A REGULAR BASIS RIGHT NOW WITH THE WAY THE- [OVERLAPPING]
>> WHEN STUDENTS ARE PRESENT, VACCINATED STAFF NEED TO AS WELL.
>> THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING ALL DAY LONG.
VACCINATED, THAT'S WHAT AM SAYING.
WHY DO VACCINATED STAFF, WHY ARE THEY REQUIRED TO WEAR MASKS DURING THE SCHOOL DAY?
>> BASED ON THE GUIDANCE FROM THE CDC GUIDELINES RECOMMEND THAT ALL STAFF, REGARDLESS OF VACCINATION STATUS, WHAT THEY'RE FINDING WITH THE DELTA VARIANT, IT IS THAT YOU'RE STILL ABLE TO GET IT AS VACCINATED, AND YOU'RE STILL ABLE TO TRANSMIT IT.
SO WE STILL DON'T WANT OUR STAFF, IF WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE AN EXTRA LAYER OF PROTECTION, TO TRY TO LIMIT THEM GETTING IT, WE SHOULD TAKE THAT STEP TO MAKE SURE WE DO WHAT WE CAN TO TRY TO KEEP THEM.
WE KNOW RIGHT NOW THERE'S A LIMITED NUMBER OF SUBS, WE HAD LIMITED NUMBER LAST YEAR, WE HAD LIMITED NUMBER THE YEAR BEFORE, WE ANTICIPATE IT TO CONTINUE THAT WAY.
WE NEED TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO KEEP OUR STAFF SAFE AND IN THE BUILDINGS.
THAT WOULD BE WHY WE'RE RECOMMENDING OUR VACCINATED STAFF RIGHT NOW THAT THEY DO THAT.
>> THAT'S THE SAME EXPECTATION OF THE STUDENTS WHO ARE 12 AND OLDER WHO WERE VACCINATED.
THEY WOULD ALSO BE WEARING A MASK.
IF THEY WEAR A MASK, IT'D BE A SMART WAY, SMART OUTWEIGH. WHY WOULDN'T [OVERLAPPING]
>> MY THEORY IS EASIER TO IDENTIFY THE STAFF, WE COULD SET UP SOMETHING WHERE THEY COULD PROVE THAT THEY WERE VACCINATED AT ONCE, WHENEVER THEY'RE BACK, THEY CAN PROVE THAT.
YOU COULD DO THE SAME THING WITH THE STUDENTS FOR THAT.
[OVERLAPPING] IF HAD A TEACHER THAT'S GOT A VACCINE NOW SHE'S GOT TO WEAR, HE'S GOT TO WEAR A MASK.
[OVERLAPPING] I'M SURE THEY'RE GOING TO, SOME ARE NOT GOING TO BE.
THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE HAPPY WITH IT.
>> I'LL BE PERFECTLY HONEST, MARK. I'M NOT HAPPY.
>> TO SIT HERE AND HAVE TO LOOK AT THIS RECOMMENDATION BECAUSE I KNOW, ONE, I DON'T HAVE TO.
I NEED TO MODEL IT, I NEED TO BE DOING IT, I SHOULD BE AND WE GO INTO BUILDINGS, I SHOULD BE.
THERE ARE SOME THINGS WE DON'T KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT YET, WE'RE STILL LEARNING MORE.
INFORMATION IS COMING OUT AND I WON'T ASK ROBIN ANSWER IT, BECAUSE SHE MIGHT NOT HAVE THE ANSWER AT THIS POINT IN TIME BUT ARTICLES CAME OUT THIS MORNING SAYING THE CDC MAY BE RECOMMENDING A BOOSTER FOR THOSE WHO RECEIVED THEIR VACCINE.
NOT JUST FOR IMMUNOCOMPROMISED, BUT EVERYBODY AND IF THEY'RE STARTING TO RECOMMEND BOOSTERS, AGAIN, I'M THINKING ABOUT CONTINUITY OF OPERATIONS.
HOW DO WE KEEP OUR BUILDINGS OPEN AND KEEP THEM STAFFED? IF IT'S WEARING A MASK AS VACCINATED BECAUSE WE DO KNOW THE VACCINATED PEOPLE CAN STILL GET THIS VARIANT, AND THEY CAN STILL TRANSMIT IT.
WE SHOULD BE TAKING WHATEVER PRECAUTIONS WE CAN TO KEEP OUR STAFF THERE AS WELL.
>> ARE WE WEARING MASKS IN THIS OFFICE BUILDING? ARE WE REQUIRED TO WEAR MASKS WHEN WE'RE IN HERE, AT THIS POINT?
>> WE WERE PREVIOUSLY, WE'VE NOT BEEN AT THIS POINT BECAUSE IT HASN'T GONE INTO EFFECT YET.
>> WHEN IT GOES INTO EFFECT WILL WE BE REQUIRED TO WEAR A MASK IN THE BUILDING?
>> THIS IS IF STUDENTS ARE PRESENT. IF STUDENTS ARE PRESENT IN THE BUILDING HERE, WE WILL NEED TO. IF THEY'RE NOT PRESENT, WE WILL NOT.
>> STUDENTS AS IN MORE THAN ONE OR STUDENTS, ANY ONE STUDENT I MEAN? [OVERLAPPING]
>> I WOULD ASSUME HERE THAT IF SOMEONE'S WORKING WITH A KID KNOWS WE'RE GOING TO BE AROUND THE STUDENTS SHOULD HAVE TO WEAR IT, AND SHOULD BE THE ONES TO WEAR IT.
BUT IF YOU'RE IN THE BACK OF THE BUILDING AND NOT AROUND KIDS, NO.
[00:35:01]
>> I'M PRETTY SURE OF THIS BUT I'M GOING TO ASK BECAUSE I DON'T SEE IT LISTED.
BUS DRIVERS AREN'T STAFF MEMBERS, IS THAT CORRECT?
>> YES. MS. WAYMAN, AND THE FEDERAL MANDATE REQUIRES EVERYBODY ON PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION TO WEAR FACE COVERINGS AT ALL TIME.
>> RACHEL, IF YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, THANK YOU.
I DON'T WANT TO STAFF TO HAVE TO BE IN MASK LONGER THAN WE NEED TO BE IN MASK.
LONGER THAN WE NEED TO TO ENSURE CONTINUITY OF OPERATIONS.
THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN VERY HELPFUL IN WORKING WITH US, WORKING WITH GEN HOW LONG DOES THIS NEED TO GO ON.
WHAT ARE OUR TARGETS THAT WE NEED TO HIT TO WHEN WE CAN START RECONSIDERING CHANGING UNIVERSAL MASKING IN OUR BUILDINGS.
WORKING WITH THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT IN ESSENCE, THEY'RE TYING IT TO AND I UNDERSTAND AGAIN ROBIN, IF YOU WANT TO JUMP IN AT ANY POINT, FEEL FREE.
WE'RE LOOKING AT COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION LEVELS AND VACCINATION RATES.
WHAT WE'VE COME UP WITH, A CONSULTATION WITH THEM, THERE'S TWO CHOKE POINTS OR TWO CHECKPOINTS.
FOR OUR MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS; ONCE OUR 12-17 YEAR OLDS HAVE REACHED A VACCINATION RATE OF 50 PERCENT AND OUR COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION LEVELS HAVE DROPPED TO THE LOW OR MODERATE, SO TO THE TWO LOWER TIERS.
AT THAT POINT IN TIME, WE SHOULD BE LOOKING TO CONSIDER TO MOVE BACK TO WHERE WE WERE WHICH WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND NON-VACCINATED MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO WEAR A MASK.
BUT WE WOULD ELIMINATE THE MASK MANDATE FOR OUR MIDDLE AND HIGH-SCHOOL STUDENTS.
FOR OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS OF COURSE THIS WOULD CHANGE IF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENT VACCINES BECOME AVAILABLE, WE DON'T HAVE A DATE ON THAT.
BUT IN WORKING AGAIN WITH THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, IF OUR COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION LEVEL AS A WHOLE, ALL OF CAROLINE COUNTY, WE MOVE THAT ROUGHLY 50 PERCENT MIDDLE TO 70 PERCENT OF OUR POPULATION IN CAROLINE COUNTY FOR 12 PLUS, IS VACCINATED, IS FULLY VACCINATED, AND OUR TRANSMISSION LEVELS ARE AT LOW OR MODERATE TO LOWEST LEVELS AT THAT POINT, WE COULD LOOK TO REMOVE THE MASK MANDATE, ALL OF OUR MASK REQUIREMENT, FOR ALL OF OUR STUDENTS IN CAROLINE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
OF COURSE, ANYBODY WOULD STILL BE ABLE TO WEAR ONE IF THEY SO CHOSE, BUT WE WOULD BE LOOKING AT THAT POINT BECAUSE AT THOSE TWO LEVELS, ESPECIALLY THE 70 PERCENT OF THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY IS STARTING TO REACH WHAT THE SMARTER FOLKS AND I ARE WHEN IT COMES TO IMMUNOLOGY AND THOSE THINGS, THEY'RE REACHING THAT HEARD IMMUNITY THRESHOLD.
WHERE YOU'RE SEEING A WHOLE LOT LESS OF IT IN THE COMMUNITY AND A LOT LESS PEOPLE FOR IT TO GET TO.
AT THAT POINT IS WHEN WE WOULD BE LOOKING TO REVISIT AND REMOVE THAT, AT THAT POINT IN TIME.
OF COURSE WE'LL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE DATA OR IF GUIDANCE CHANGES AROUND QUARANTINE PROCEDURES THAT IF IT CHANGES IN THE POSITIVE, THAT STILL ALLOWS US TO KEEP THE DOORS OPEN ON THE SCHOOLS, SAFELY FOR ALL KIDS.
THAT OF COURSE, COULD REVISIT AS WELL BUT THESE WERE THE METRIC POINTS THAT WE WOULD BE LOOKING FORWARD TO WORK TOWARDS.
ONE OF THE THINGS I'VE BEEN LEARNING ABOUT THE DELTA VARIANT AND LIKE I SAID YOU MIGHT NOTICE, IS IT'S SITTING HARD AND IT'S HITTING FAST BUT IT BURNS OUT RELATIVELY QUICKLY THE PEAK, IS THAT TRUE? THAT WE'RE HITTING THE THING BUT.
>> NO. I DON'T KNOW IF ROBIN CAN SPEAK TO THAT.
ROBIN, DID YOU HEAR THE QUESTION?
>> I'M SORRY. I COULDN'T HEAR IT VERY WELL.
>> I'VE HEARD THAT THE DELTA VARIANT, IT'S HITTING HARD AND IT'S HITTING FAST BUT IT HITS THE PEAK MUCH QUICKER THAN THE ORIGINAL COVID.
LIKE SOMEBODY SAID, I DON'T KNOW HOW TRUE THIS THAT I HEARD, IT'S LIKE 6-8 WEEKS OF REALLY BAD DATA AND THEN IT STARTS TO LEVEL OFF. [OVERLAPPING]
>> WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY HOW LONG IT'LL LAST LIKE BE AROUND?
>> [OVERLAPPING] WHEN DO WE EXPECT IT TO PEAK?
>> I HEARD THE PEAK WOULD BE IN OCTOBER.
>> THE THING WITH DELTA, IT DOES HIT VERY HARD IN TERMS OF WHEN YOU START TO SEE IT WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY AND RIGHT NOW I THINK WE HAVE THREE OF THE VARIANCE OF CONCERN WHICH INCLUDE THE DELTA VARIANT CIRCULATING IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AS OF THREE CASES.
DELTA, WE ALL KNOW IT'S EXTREMELY CONTAGIOUS, AND OUR VACCINES ARE EXTREMELY EFFECTIVE AND EVEN IF YOU'RE VACCINATED AND
[00:40:02]
YOU DO ACQUIRE THE COVID VIRUS WHICH IS WITH THE DELTA VARIANT, YOUR CHANCES OF BECOMING SEVERELY ILL ARE GREATLY DIMINISHED IF YOU'RE VACCINATED.WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT THE MORE COVID SPREADS THROUGHOUT YOUR COMMUNITY, THE BETTER CHANCES OF THE VARIANT MUTATING OR THE VIRUS MUTATING AND YOU CREATE MORE VARIANTS.
YOU'RE HEARING ABOUT DELTA NOW, THE NEXT YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR ABOUT IS GOING TO BE GAMMA AND THEN YOU'LL ALSO HEAR ABOUT ALPHA AND IT WILL JUST CONTINUE ON AND ON WITH THESE DIFFERENT VARIANTS, AND DEPENDING ON HOW THE VIRUS IS STRUCTURED WILL BE, THAT IS HOW THE INCREASE OF THE SPREAD AND THE SEVERITY OF THE SPREAD OF THAT VIRUS WITH THAT VARIANT WILL BE.
[LAUGHTER] DOES THAT MAKE SENSE?
>> QUESTION BUT WE'RE DELTA NOW WE'RE GOING TO GET TO YOUR POINT.
WE'RE GOING TO BE IOWA'S CAPITAL LAND TO MOVE THIS ITEM MACRON SOON.
THEY'LL JUST GOING TO KEEP TRACKING, IT'S NOT GOING TO WORK.
>> WE HAVE TO GO TO ANOTHER ALPHABET.
>> BUT WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT WHEN YOU INCREASE YOUR LEVEL OF VACCINATION, YOU DIMINISH YOUR COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION LEVEL AND THERE'S NO OPTION FOR THE VIRUS TO BE ABLE TO MUTATE TO CAUSE NEW VARIANCE.
YOU SQUASH THIS ESSENTIALLY WITH INCREASING YOUR VACCINATION RATES.
THAT'S THE PREMISE FOR LAYER STRATEGY, WHICH IS THE RECOMMENDATION FROM CDC.
>> ROBIN, THIS IS RICK BARTON. I HAVE A QUESTION.
IS THERE EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THAT THE DELTA VARIANT THE CHILDREN ARE MORE SUSCEPTIBLE THAN THEY WERE TO THE PRIOR COVID? RON, I'VE HEARD AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S TRUE OR NOT THAT DELTA HITS CHILDREN MORE THAN THE PRIOR SITUATION.
>> YES. THAT'S NOT A YES TO THE QUESTION.
THAT'S ANOTHER ONE OF THE FACTORS IN THIS.
JUST AS COVID WAS VERY NEW AND REAL IN MARCH OF 2020, THE DELTA VARIANT NOW IS NEWER AND THERE'S A LOT THAT WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT THAT.
JUST AS I SPOKE ABOUT GAMMA, ALPHA THOSE ARE ALL NEW VARIANTS THAT WE DON'T HAVE KNOWLEDGE OF YET.
THEY ARE STUDYING THE IMPACT THAT DELTA HAS ON CHILDREN.
I WILL TELL YOU THAT, LIKE I SAID, THEY HAVE DISCOVERED THAT IT IS HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS AND VERY TRANSMISSIBLE.
THAT'S REALLY THE PURPOSE OF THE UNIVERSAL MASKING EVEN FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE VACCINATED BECAUSE LIKE I SAID YOU CAN PICK UP THE VIRUS WITH THE DELTA VARIANT AND BE ASYMPTOMATIC AND NOT HAVE ANY SYMPTOMS AND YOU CAN TRANSMIT THAT.
AS LONG AS WE CONTINUE TO HAVE A LEVEL OF COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION THAT'S RUNNING SUBSTANTIAL OR HIGH, IT'S VERY LIKELY THAT PEOPLE WILL CONTINUE TO BE INFECTED BY THE VIRUS.
>> THERE'S A POSITIVITY RATE 6.71 PERCENT.
WHAT DOES THAT EQUIVALATE TO IN NUMBERS AS FAR AS HOW MANY PEOPLE WITH OUR POPULATION IN OUR COUNTY? HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE DEAD? [OVERLAPPING]
>> YES. AS OF TODAY, I WANT TO SAY THERE WERE 29 CASES.
SOMETIMES THE DAYS AND THE NUMBERS GET MIXED UP, BUT I'M PRETTY SURE AS OF TODAY, FOR A 10 DAY PERIOD, WE HAD 29 ACTIVE CASES IN THE COUNTY.
NOW, OF COURSE, THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE CONTACTS OF THOSE CASES WHO HAVE, THEY'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF GETTING TESTED.
I WILL TELL YOU THE OTHER THING.
A MONTH TO FIVE WEEKS AGO, OUR TESTING CENTER, WE WERE LUCKY IF WE HAD FIVE PEOPLE COME IN FOR TESTING AND NORMALLY THEY WERE REGULARS THAT CAME IN AND THEY NEEDED IT WEEKLY FOR THEIR EMPLOYMENT OR WHATEVER AND OVER THE LAST THREE WEEKS, WE'VE SEEN AT LEAST 30 OR MORE APPOINTMENTS BOOKS FOR THE TUESDAY TESTING CENTER.
A GOOD MAJORITY OF THEM WE'RE STILL SEEING ASYMPTOMATIC BEING TESTED MORE THAN THE SYMPTOMATIC.
THAT INDICATES THAT PEOPLE ARE EITHER THEY'VE BEEN EXPOSED AND NOW THEY'RE GETTING TESTED, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
[00:45:01]
IT HAS INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY.HOWEVER, OUR VACCINATION APPOINTMENTS HAVE INCREASED OVER THE LAST TWO WEEKS AS WELL SO THE INTEREST IS THERE.
I THINK THAT PEOPLE ARE REALIZING THAT IT'S IMPORTANT FOR OUR VACCINATION RATE TO INCREASE IN ORDER TO DECREASE THE COMMUNITY LEVEL OF TRANSMISSION.
I WILL TELL YOU ANOTHER THING.
IN TERMS OF THE COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION LEVEL, THAT LEVEL DOES NOT ACCOUNT FOR OUTBREAKS BECAUSE OUTBREAKS THEY CAN HAPPEN AND THEY'RE CONTROLLED.
A COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION LEVEL IS INDICATIVE OF, WE DON'T KNOW WHERE THE VIRUS IS EXACTLY.
WE JUST KNOW THAT IT'S WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY AND IT CAN BE TRANSMITTED UNKNOWINGLY BY OTHER INDIVIDUALS.
>> [INAUDIBLE] ABOUT THREE CASES PER DAY RIGHT NOW AT TODAY'S [OVERLAPPING].
WHEN I LOOKED THIS MORNING, THAT WAS ACTUALLY THE INCREASE FROM YESTERDAY TO TODAY, WAS THREE CASES.
I THINK WE HAD ONE DAY LAST WEEK WHERE THE CASE INCREASE FROM ONE DAY TO THE NEXT WAS 10, AND I BELIEVE THAT THAT MAY HAVE BEEN THE MOST OVER THE LAST FIVE OR SIX WEEKS.
I WILL TELL YOU THAT THE OTHER THING OUR POSITIVITY RATE AT THE BEGINNING OF JULY WAS AT ZERO FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS.
THAT WAS A REALLY GOOD FEELING AND THEN SEEING IT GO UP WAS IT'S VERY DISCOURAGING.
>> NO IDEA RIGHT NOW AS FAR AS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT FOR OUR SCHOOLS UNDER 21 YEARS AND UNDER THE SCORES.
DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA IN THE STATE OF MARYLAND HOW MANY KIDS ARE ACTUALLY IN HOSPITALS OR, I DON'T WANT TO SAY, LIKE CRITICAL CONDITION BUT AS FAR AS FROM THIS, DO WE KNOW THAT? DO WE HAVE AN IDEA OF THAT?
>> NO BUT I CAN GET YOU THAT INFORMATION.
>> WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE CHART, THAT READ AND WRITE THE POSITIVITY RATE FROM AUGUST 9TH TO AUGUST 16TH IS DOUBLED.
IT'S PRETTY CLOSE. IT DOES THAT AGAIN AND AGAIN AND IF IT DOUBLE AGAIN IN A WEEK.
>> WE'D HAVE SIX PEOPLE A DAY INSTEAD OF THREE.
>> I DON'T KNOW THAT YEAH. [OVERLAPPING]
>> I JUST SAY THAT I UNDERSTAND THAT.
>> WELL, THAT'S A PRETTY RAPID INCREASE.
>> THEN AT TWO WEEKS IT WOULD BE 12.
I UNDERSTAND THAT. [OVERLAPPING]
>> BUT HOW DO WE GO BACK DOWN? [OVERLAPPING]
>> IT COULD GO BACK DOWN. IT COULD GO EITHER WAY. I UNDERSTAND THAT.
>> YEAH. THAT'S THE TRUTH. IT JUST KEEPS GOING UP EVERY WEEK.
>> I'LL TRY AND PUT A NUMBER TO THIS 6.71 PERCENT, IT MEANS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO ME.
I DID NOT KNOW WHAT THAT MEANT.
>> BUT AS FAR AS IN OUR POPULATION IN OUR COUNTY, I KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE WELL ROUGHLY ARE IN OUR COUNTY.
>> HOW MANY PEOPLE. WHAT DOES THIS NUMBER MEAN?
>> NO, I KNOW. BUT I WANTED TO KNOW WHAT DOES THIS NUMBER MEAN?
>> YOU ALSO HAVE TO BE FAMILIAR WITH THE FACT THAT THE POSITIVITY RATE IS ALSO AFFECTED BY THE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE TESTED AS WELL.
AS THE NUMBER OF TESTS INCREASE THERE, OR I SHOULDN'T SAY INCREASE, BUT IF A LARGE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE ARE BEING TESTED AND A LARGE AMOUNT OF THOSE TESTS ARE POSITIVE, THAT CAN CAUSE THE POSITIVITY RATE TO INCREASE.
IF YOU HAVE THE SAME AS IF YOU WERE TO ONLY HAVE A SMALL AMOUNT OF PEOPLE BE TESTED AND THEY ALL TESTED POSITIVE.
IT DOES GET INCREASED WITH THE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS BEING TESTED AND A LARGE NUMBER OF THAT PERCENTAGE BEING POSITIVE.
I DON'T KNOW. I'M HOPING THAT MAKES SENSE.
>> [INAUDIBLE] FOR MY BRAIN, I THINK I FIGURED IT OUT.
BECAUSE THE 6.71 PERCENT AND THEN YOU SAID THREE PEOPLE HAVE IT, I'M LIKE 6.71 PERCENT IS MORE THAN THREE PEOPLE IN OUR POPULATION.
>> LOOK AT THAT CASE [OVERLAPPING]
>> THAT'S WHY I ASKED EXACTLY WHAT THE NUMBER WAS.
>> IF IT DOESN'T MAKE THAT NUMBER, THERE ARE [OVERLAPPING].
>> NO, THAT SIX-POINT [OVERLAPPING]
>> THE NUMBER IN HERE IS HOW MANY PEOPLE PER A HUNDRED THOUSAND, SO WE CURRENTLY HAVE [OVERLAPPING] 33,000 RESIDENTS IN CAROLINE COUNTY, BUT THEY CONVERTED TO A CASE FOR A HUNDRED THOUSAND AND WE'RE TODAY AT 12, 13.
>> A WEEK OR TWO AGO WE WERE 4, 5.
I MEAN, WE'RE A LOT, WE LOOK AT THAT TOO.
>> THIS IS THE POSITIVITY RATE THAT'S BASED ON THE PEOPLE THAT TOOK THE TEST?
[00:50:05]
>> OUT OF A HUNDRED PEOPLE THAT TOOK THE TEST, 6.7.
>> YEAH. ASSUMING A HUNDRED TOOK THE TEST.
>> I JUST LOOKING UP FOR AN EASY NUMBER.
>> OUT OF A HUNDRED PEOPLE THAT TOOK THE TEST, 6.71.
IF 200 TOOK IT, THAT'S 13 PEOPLE.
>> NOT THAT I DON'T WANT TO DISCUSS THIS FURTHER, I DON'T WANT TO MINIMIZE ANY CONVERSATION, BUT I KNOW THE BOARDS ACROSS THE STATE AND HOPEFULLY A LOT OF PEOPLE LAST YEAR HAD A LOT OF THESE SIMILAR CONVERSATIONS BECAUSE HOW ARE THESE NUMBERS GENERATED? WHAT'S THE PERCENTAGE AND HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE WE TALKING ABOUT? WE DON'T HAVE A HUNDRED THOUSAND PEOPLE IN CAROLINE COUNTY, BUT WE'RE TOLD CASES PER A HUNDRED THOUSAND.
I DON'T LIKE IT AND I DON'T LIKE IT WHEN AGAIN.
I KNOW WHAT KIDS DO IN THE AFTERNOON, IN THE WEEKENDS AND THE ADULTS WERE MAKING THEIR OWN DECISIONS.
BUT TWO WEEKS AGO I HONESTLY WAS THINKING ABOUT TRANSMISSION AND KNOWING HOW THE COMMUNITY IS LIVING THIS PAST SUMMER.
WHEN WE WERE IN JULY AT ZERO PERCENT, TWO WEEKS AGO IN AUGUST WE WERE AT THREE PERCENT AND NOW TWO WEEKS LATER WE'RE AT SIX PERCENT.
I KNOW I FEEL LIKE I'M IN THE COMMUNITY AND I KNOW PEOPLE HAVE GOTTEN SICK LIKE RICK AND OTHERS, BUT WHAT I'M LOOKING AT NOW WERE THE RULES WEREN'T GIVEN TO OPERATE UNDER.
THE RULES WE'RE HAVING TO PLAY BY WHETHER KIDS, EIGHT YEARS OLD IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL OR 18-YEAR-OLDS IN THEIR LAST YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL.
I JUST DON'T WANT THEM GOING HOME IF THEY DON'T HAVE TO BE HONEST.
WITH THIS INFORMATION AND I'M JUST WRAPPING MY MIND AROUND SINCE FRIDAY.
>> ONE OF THE OTHER QUESTIONS I WAS GOING TO ASK IS, OKAY.
THE GOAL IS TO GET THE KIDS BACK, KEEP BACK, AND GET RID OF MASKING.
THAT'S THE ULTIMATE PERFECT WORLD FOR EVERYONE.
>> EVENTUALLY, YES, ONCE WE GET RID OF MASKING.
BUT THE ULTIMATE GOAL WAS GET THEM BACK, GET THEM LEARNING, IN-PERSON.
>> [OVERLAPPING] CLOSE TO NORMAL.
>> LET'S SAY FOR WHATEVER WEIRD REASON, ONE'S WHO IS GETTING IT.
>> CAN YOU SPEAK A LITTLE LOUDER, PLEASE?
>> IF ONE SCHOOL IS GETTING HIT BAD, AND THE OTHERS ARE STILL BEING OKAY, THEY'RE NOT GETTING HIT.
DO WE HAVE A CONTINGENCY FOR THAT RATHER THAN JUST MAKING THIS BLANKET? EVERYBODY HAS TO, I DON'T MIND SAYING SUFFER.
>> NO, AT THAT POINT I THINK THEN WE'RE HAVING TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT OPTIONS THAT WE PROVIDED LAST YEAR THAT ARE LESS THAN IDEAL THAT WE HOPE WE DON'T.
WE'RE TRYING TO PUT EVERYTHING WE CAN UPFRONT TO NOT HAVE TO PUT US IN A POSITION LIKE WE DID WITH GREENSBORO IN OCTOBER OF LAST YEAR, WHERE WE HAD TO SHUT THE SCHOOL DOWN FOR 10 DAYS.
WE'RE TRYING TO TAKE EVERY STEP WE CAN TO KEEP OUR KIDS SPACED APPROPRIATELY TO WHERE THAT SHOULDN'T HAPPEN.
THE ONLY CIRCUMSTANCE WOULD BE THINGS OUTSIDE OF OUR CONTROL THAT WE CAN'T CONTROL THAT SAY THERE'S SOMETHING WHERE EVERYBODY'S AT AND COMMUNITY AND ALL OF A SUDDEN IT JUST LIT LIKE WILDFIRE SOMEWHERE BECAUSE OF EVERYBODY BEING AT WHATEVER EVENT.
THEN WE'RE STUCK WITH RESPONDING TO THAT ONE EVENT.
BUT WE ALSO WOULD STILL LIKELY HAVE OUR STAFF WHO ARE STILL AVAILABLE, WHO ARE NOT ILL, WHO ARE NOT INFECTED, WE STILL HAVE A LARGE SEGMENT OF OUR STUDENT BODY WHO IS NOT.
AT THAT POINT, WE HOPE WE HAVE THE BUILDING STILL CONTAINED AND STILL HAVE OUR ABILITY TO WORK FROM THE BUILDING AND TEACH FROM THERE FOR THOSE WHO CAN.
BUT [INAUDIBLE] THEN WE WOULD HAVE TO LOOK AT IS HOW DO WE THEN PIVOT TO BE ABLE TO FIND A WAY? BECAUSE NUMBERS ARE SO LARGE, TO STILL PROVIDE THAT INSTRUCTION.
WE'RE TRYING TO LIMIT THAT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AND LIMIT THAT BURDEN ON OUR STAFF.
WE HOPE THE STEPS WE'RE TAKING, WE HOPE VACCINATION RATES INCREASE TO WHERE THEY NEED TO, AND THEN WE DON'T END UP IN THAT PREDICAMENT AGAIN.
NOBODY WANTS TO LIVE THROUGH LAST YEAR AGAIN.
>> WE'RE TRYING TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO NOT HAVE TO DO THAT.
IF I LOOK AT THE NUMBERS AND I UNDERSTAND THEM CORRECTLY, THE POSITIVITY RATE RIGHT NOW IS HIGHER THAN IT WAS A YEAR AGO.
A YEAR AGO WE WEREN'T EVEN TALKING ABOUT PUTTING KIDS BACK TO SCHOOL.
SO IF WE'RE PUTTING THE STUDENTS BACK IN SCHOOL WITH A HIGHER POSITIVITY RATE THAN A YEAR AGO.
I'M NOT SURE I'M READING IT RIGHT BUT I'M LOOKING AT THIS CHART, THEN WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING EXTRAORDINARY.
THE YOUNGER ONES CAN'T BE, THE OLDER ONES CHOSE NOT TO.
YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE SAME SITUATION AS A YEAR AGO.
>> A YEAR AGO WE WEREN'T GOING OUT TO EAT AT RESTAURANTS.
THERE WAS A LOT OF STUFF WE WEREN'T DOING.
I UNDERSTAND BUT A YEAR AGO WE WEREN'T DOING ALL THIS.
[00:55:01]
>> POINT NUMBER TWO IS, WE CAN'T CONTROL WHAT ANY OF THEM DO AFTER ALL.
WE CAN'T AND WE MAY SEE AN AWFUL LOT OF NEW MANDATES COMING DOWN.
BECAUSE OF WHAT? BECAUSE OF THE BEHAVIOR OF PEOPLE.
I'M NOT SAYING THEY'RE BEING IRRESPONSIBLE BUT IT MIGHT JUST TIGHTEN DOWN, DEPENDS HOW MANY MORE CASES THERE ARE AND HOW BAD IT GETS.
WHO KNOWS, VACCINATED PEOPLE START GETTING SICK IN LARGE NUMBERS.
WE'RE RIGHT BACK WHERE WE WERE.
BUT I'M JUST SAYING THAT ALL YOU CAN DO IS DO SOMETHING ALL THIS GROUP, ALL THE SCHOOL SYSTEM DO IS DO SOMETHING WITH THE STUDENTS WHEN THEY'RE IN THAT SCHOOL.
WHEN THEY'RE OUT, I GET MR. [INAUDIBLE] POINT.
THEY'RE HAVING PARTIES, THEY'RE DRIVING AROUND.
THE OLDER ONES WHO'RE DRIVING AROUND IN CARS TOGETHER.
THEY'RE NOT WORRIED ABOUT THREE FEET.
THEY'RE GOING TO DATES, THEY'RE DOING EVERYTHING.
EVERYBODY THINKS THAT MAGICALLY WENT AWAY. WELL, IT DIDN'T.
WHEN WE LOOK AT THE LOW VACCINATION RATE AMONG THE ADULTS, I GUESS THEY THOUGHT IT WAS JUST GOING TO GO AWAY BY ITSELF.
WE GOT A PRETTY GOOD SUMMER LOOK AT THAT ZERO RIGHT THERE, ISN'T IT WONDERFUL? ALL OF A SUDDEN WE'VE BEEN DELTA-ED I GUESS THAT'S THE BEST WAY TO LOOK AT IT.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE QUARANTINE PROTOCOLS, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF CHOICE WE WANT TO DO HERE.
THOSE QUARANTINE PROTOCOLS TELL YOU WHAT YOU HAVE.
>> IT HAS BUT DO WE KNOW IF WE START SCHOOL WITHOUT MASK, WE HAVE NO IDEA HOW MANY KIDS WE'RE GOING TO BE QUARANTINING IN TWO WEEKS.
>> NO. BUT THEN WE'RE STUCK PLAYING DEFENSE.
>> WE ARE, BUT WE CAN HAVE A PLAN FOR THAT TOO.
A PLAN OF PUTTING THE MASK BACK ON.
PUT A MASK ON THAT POINT. [OVERLAPPING]
>> MR. JONES, THE TROUBLE WE GET INTO AT THAT POINT, SAY WE DO.
WE START OFF WITH, LET'S JUST SEE WHERE IT GOES.
>> LET'S JUST SEE WHERE IT GOES.
>> BUT WE GO OUT THERE, WE'RE LOOKING AT A SIX-FOOT QUARANTINE CIRCLE AT THAT POINT.
AT THAT POINT IN TIME, I'M GOING TO START RUNNING INTO A SCENARIO WHERE WE'RE GOING TO END UP HAVING TO CALL PARENTS.
I FEEL VERY CONFIDENT THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN AND IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN IN OUR HIGH SCHOOLS.
IT'S GOING TO START WITH, "I'M SORRY, MR. NEWCOMB, YOUR CHILD WAS EXPOSED TO SOMEBODY WHO HAS COVID-LIKE SYMPTOMS, WAS TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID.
WE'VE GOT TO SHUT DOWN THE SOCCER PROGRAM AT [INAUDIBLE] FOR TWO WEEKS.
BUT NOW WE'VE GOT TO SHUT DOWN THE FOOTBALL PROGRAM AT NORTH HIGH FOR TWO WEEKS.
WE'VE GOT TO SHUT DOWN THIS PROGRAM" BECAUSE ONCE YOU START GETTING A FEW KIDS, YOU START LOSING YOUR ABILITY. YOU DON'T HAVE A TEAM.
THEN WE RUN INTO A SCENARIO WHERE YOU CAN'T RESCHEDULE ALL YOUR GAMES AND THEN KIDS ARE MISSING OUT ON THOSE OPPORTUNITIES AND IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT THE SPORTS.
BUT YOU DO START LOSING THOSE OPPORTUNITIES AND YOU CAN'T GET THEM BACK.
IF WE CAN LOOK AT IT FROM THE STANDPOINT OF NOBODY WANTS TO BE IN THE MASK AT ALL.
I GET THAT. I DON'T WANT TO BE.
BUT IF REQUIRING ALL OF OUR KIDS TO WEAR A FACE-COVERING ALLOWS ALL THOSE THINGS TO HAPPEN TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY WITHOUT HAVING TO TAKE IT FROM KIDS, THAT'S WHERE I'M LOOKING AT IT FROM.
I WOULD NOT WANT TO PUT THE SCHOOL SYSTEM IN A POSITION WHERE WE'RE [NOISE] GOING BACK AGAIN AND IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT THE SENIORS AND I KNOW THAT.
BUT IT'S BEEN TOUGH FOR SOME OF OUR KIDS FOR TWO YEARS TO HAVE DISRUPTED OPPORTUNITIES OF THINGS THAT ARE RIGHTS OF PASSAGE THAT THEY LOOK FORWARD TO.
THE FACT WE KNOW THAT SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF LEARNING HAS BEEN DISRUPTED.
WE KNOW THAT OVER THE TIME, THE MORE KIDS WE HAVE TO SEND HOME.
EVEN IF WE WERE TO SAY, "LET'S SEE HOW THE SCHOOL YEAR BEGINS," THE MINUTE WE START SENDING KIDS HOME WE'RE THEN PLAYING CATCH UP.
THEN WE'RE STUCK WITH Y'ALL COULD HAVE MADE THIS DECISION SOONER.
I DON'T WANT TO DIMINISH ANYBODY'S CONCERN ABOUT HAVING TO WEAR IT.
I GET THERE'RE SOME IMPACTS WITH KIDS, WITH THE SOCIALIZATION PIECE AND THOSE THINGS.
BUT FROM A MEDICAL STANDPOINT, WE'VE NOT HAD ANY REPORTED INCIDENTS OF WEARING A MASK CAUSING MEDICAL ISSUES THAT RELATE TO LARGE GROUPS OF KIDS HAVING TO MISS SCHOOL.
IF I'M PUTTING THOSE IN A MIX OF THE MASK VERSUS NO MASK AND KIDS WHO ARE DOING EVERYTHING RIGHT IN THEIR MIND OF TRYING TO MEET ALL THE PROTOCOLS AND HAVING TO GO HOME FOR SOMETHING THAT WAS OUT OF THEIR CONTROL THAT WE COULD HAVE CONTROLLED.
THAT'S WHERE I DON'T THINK I SHOULD BE PUTTING US IN A POSITION FOR CONTINUITY OF OPERATIONS, CONTINUITY OF THEIR LEARNING, AND TRYING TO GET THEM BACK ON TRACK.
I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND ANYBODY WHO'S LISTENING AT HOME.
I GET NOBODY WANTS TO, I GET IT.
I DON'T WANT TO PUT ONE BACK ON.
THEY'D SAY, ''DAD, WHY ARE YOU MAKING THIS DECISION?'' I GUARANTEE IT. THAT'S PROBABLY WHAT THEY'LL TELL ME WHEN I GET HOME.
BUT IT'S ABOUT KEEPING OUR SYSTEM POSITIONED TO DO WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DO, WHICH IS EDUCATE OUR KIDS IN OUR BUILDINGS ON A CONSISTENT BASIS AS SAFELY AS WE POSSIBLY CAN.
IT'S INCONVENIENT AS ALL GET OUT.
[01:00:01]
IT STINKS, IT'S MISERABLE.I MEAN, IT IS. WE'RE ASKING FOR IT INDOORS, WHICH IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN LAST YEAR'S WAS.
LAST YEAR IT WAS ON SCHOOL PROPERTY INDOORS AND OUT.
>> ATHLETICS ISN'T IMPACTED AT THIS POINT.
UNLESS SOMETHING GETS SO DRASTICALLY WORSE.
THAT'S A POSITIVE AND HONESTLY, HE'S RIGHT, NOBODY'S HAPPY.
I STILL SAY AGAIN, I'M NOT IN FAVOR OF THE MASK, AND ESPECIALLY FOR KIDS ALL DAY LONG, IT'S AWFUL.
BUT AT SOME POINT WITH THE RULES WE'RE GIVEN TO PLAY BY AND THE LEADERS IN THE SCHOOL, IT SHOULD BE MORE FOCUSED ON EDUCATION AND CONTINUITY OF EDUCATION.
BUT ATHLETICS AND DRAMA AND BAND IT IS A BIG PART OF HIGH SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT AND THE HIGH SCHOOLERS WHO CAN GET THEM VACCINATED.
IF YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE GETTING VACCINATED, BE LEADERS IN YOUR SCHOOL, AND PLEASE GET VACCINATED.
IT'LL HELP US, IT'LL HELP YOUR COMMUNITY, WEAR YOUR MASK FOR YOUR TEAM.
BECAUSE ONE OR TWO PLAYERS, WHETHER YOU'RE THE STARTING FORWARD ON ANYTHING OR THE PITCHER ON A SOFTBALL OR A BASEBALL TEAM.
IF YOU'RE NOT THERE, IT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WINNING AND LOSING SOMETIMES, AND THEN I HATE TO SEE A TEAM GET TO A POINT WHERE THEY MISS.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A NORMAL SEASON THIS YEAR, IT'S A LITTLE NOT AS CLOSE TO NORMAL AS WE CAN ON THE OUTSIDE IN THE SPORTS SEASON, BUT IT MIGHT NOT BE NORMAL IF WE DON'T MAKE SOME ACCOMMODATIONS INSIDE THE BUILDING.
BUT [NOISE] I GUESS I'M GOING TO HAVE TO ACCEPT IT.
>> I THINK WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE DECISION IS, THERE'S GOING TO BE SOMEONE, SOME CHILD, SOME STAFF MEMBER, SOME TEACHER, SOME PARENT WHO IS NOT GOING TO BE HAPPY IF THEY WEAR A MASK OR IF THEY DON'T WEAR MASKS.
YOU CAN'T PLEASE EVERYONE IN A SITUATION LIKE THIS, WE HAVE TO DO WHAT WE FEEL IS THE BEST FOR OUR STUDENTS OVERALL IN ORDER FOR THEM TO GAIN THE BEST EDUCATION THEY CAN.
ESPECIALLY KEEPING IN MIND THAT THEIR EDUCATION WAS ALTERED LAST YEAR.
I THINK THAT WE HAVE TO BOTTOM LINE, TAKE ALL THE INFORMATION THAT'S BEEN GIVEN TO US.
WE'VE GOT TO DO WHAT WE HONESTLY FEEL IS BEST TO MAINTAIN THE BEST EDUCATION WE CAN FOR OUR STUDENTS.
THERE'S GOING TO BE FOLKS WHO ARE HAPPY, FOLKS WHO ARE GOING TO BE UNHAPPY.
>> WHAT IF AN ADULT GETS IT? A TEACHER OR STAFF MEMBER? WHAT'S THE PROTOCOL AT THAT POINT?
>> IF THE TEACHER TESTS POSITIVE FOR COVID, THEY ARE SICK.
>> RIGHT? BUT I MEAN, AS FAR AS [OVERLAPPING] [INAUDIBLE]
>> NOT POSITIVE BUT THEY'RE EXPOSED. NOT TESTED YET.
>> YEAH, IT'S A DIFFERENT QUESTION.
>> IF A STAFF MEMBER IS POSITIVE, THEN WE CONTACT TRACE AND FIND OUT WHO WAS WITHIN SIX FEET.
>> SO THAT IF YOU WOULD HAVE THEIR CONTACT, TRACE THE STUDENTS IN THE CLASSROOM.
>> THEN WE NOTIFY THE PARENT AND THE STUDENT HAS TO QUARANTINE.
>> I GUESS YOU'D HAVE TO FIND OUT, OKAY, YOU WERE IN THE CLASSROOM.
BUT YOU DID NOT NECESSARILY GET WITHIN SIX FEET OF EVERY STUDENT.
>> FIFTEEN MINUTES IN A 24-HOUR PERIOD.
>> OUR TEACHERS HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN VERY HELPFUL WITH THAT.
UNFORTUNATELY, THEY'VE GOTTEN USED TO THE QUESTIONS.
I SAY UNFORTUNATELY BECAUSE WE'VE LIVED IT FOR OVER A YEAR.
THEY'VE GOTTEN USED TO THE QUESTIONS AND KNOW TO POSITION THEMSELVES SUCH THAT YOU TRY TO MINIMIZE YOUR OVERALL IMPACT AROUND ANY INDIVIDUAL KID FOR MORE THAN 15 MINUTES.
>> WHICH REALLY SHOULDN'T BE TOO HARD.
>> FOR THE MOST PART BY AND LARGE IT'S NOT.
>> IF NOTHING ELSE, GET A TIMER, TEN MINUTES ALL THE WAY.
WHEN YOU SAY THREE FEET, I'VE HEARD A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT.
IT'S NOT THREE FEET FROM THIS DESK TO THIS DESK, THREE FEET FROM THE MIDDLE OF ONE DESK TO THE OTHER DESK.
HOW DO YOU DEFINE YOUR THREE FEET AND SIX FEET?
>> IT SHOULD BE THREE FEET FROM PERSON TO PERSON.
>> FROM THE EDGE OF THE PERSON.
>> WELL, THAT'S WHAT MADE SENSE TO ME, BUT PEOPLE KEEP ASKING.
>> NOT BEING SMART, BUT IF WE WERE TO CUT A 36-INCH PIECE OF STRING, I LITERALLY WOULD HOLD IT HERE.
>> WELL, TO ME, I THOUGHT, "I DON'T WANT TO BE A NO-BRAINER," BUT I'VE BEEN ASKED IT SEVERAL TIMES.
[01:05:05]
>> MAYBE WE GIVE EVERY KID A 36-INCH [INAUDIBLE]. [LAUGHTER]
>> WHEN I GET ASKED THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER AND I'M TRYING TO BE POLITE, WHICH IS ALMOST HARD FOR ME SOMETIMES, I FIGURED GET AN ANSWER AND SO IT'S AS SIMPLE AS IT CAN BE.
>> THE WAY I LOOK AT THIS, THERE'S TWO THINGS I'D LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN, AND NEITHER OF THEM ARE GOING TO HAPPEN.
ONE IS, I DON'T LIKE THE MASK, I DON'T WANT TO DO IT, I'M NOT IN FAVOR OF IT.
IT'S A DECISION THAT'S GOING TO BE, BUT I DON'T LIKE THEM.
I DON'T WANT TO DO IT, AND IF YOU'RE VACCINATED AND YOU'RE WEARING A MASK, IT'S RIDICULOUS.
WELL, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO WHAT'S RIDICULOUS BECAUSE THE WHOLE THING IS CRAZY.
I SEE IT'S JUST THE WAY IT'S GOING TO BE.
THE OTHER IS, I'D LOVE TO SEE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR MORE PUBLIC INPUT.
PARENTS HAVE OPINIONS, THE COMMUNITY HAS OPINIONS, THE ELECTED OFFICIALS HAVE OPINIONS.
IT'S NOT A LUXURY, IT'S A NECESSITY.
I DON'T THINK THAT THAT TIME IS THERE TO DO THAT.
SCHOOL IS COMING SO FAST, PARENTS HAVE DECISIONS TO MAKE.
JUST HYPOTHETICAL, IF MY CHILD WAS IN SCHOOL AND HAD A COMPROMISED IMMUNE SYSTEM AND THEY'RE GOING TO GET ANYTHING THAT COMES DOWN THE PIPE OR COULD, I WOULD BE VERY WORRIED ABOUT HAVING THEM IN SCHOOL WITHOUT THE PROTOCOLS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
THAT'S JUST AN EXAMPLE. I AGREE TOTALLY WITH WHAT MS. [INAUDIBLE] SAID.
I COULD NOT HAVE SAID IT BETTER THAN THAT.
I JUST WANTED TO ADD THOSE TWO THINGS.
WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT PUBLIC INPUT, AND I DON'T THINK WE CAN DO IT.
I DON'T THINK WE CAN DO MORE THAN YOU'VE DONE, EVEN THOUGH I WANTED TO SEE US TAKE THIS WHOLE WEEK FOR PUBLIC INPUT.
AGAIN, THE TWO THINGS I'D LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN CAN'T.
JUST GET ON WITH LIFE HERE AND MAKE IT WORK AND GET THE KIDS IN SCHOOL.
>> ACTUALLY, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO ALLOW A FIVE-DAY PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.
>> WHAT WERE THE RESULTS THAT WE GOT?
>> WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE TABLE FOR A FIVE-DAY PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD BECAUSE THAT IS UNDERSTANDING MORE OF THE COMMUNITY.
>> THAT GIVES US TILL WHAT? MONDAY OR TUESDAY, AND GET THIS THROUGH THE WEEKEND.
I PERSONALLY DON'T FEEL THAT THAT IS GOING TO INHIBIT GETTING READY FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR.
>> MICHELLE, ARE YOU WITH US? DID YOU HEAR THAT?
>> IT WAS NOT CLEAR, CAN IT PLEASE BE REPEATED.
>> MICHELLE, THERE'S A MOTION ON THE TABLE FOR A FIVE-DAY PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD BY MR. JONES.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU HEAR THAT.
WE NEED A SECOND. DOES ANYBODY FEEL LIKE WE NEED TO ALLOW THE PUBLIC THE OPPORTUNITY TO DIGEST WHAT WE'VE JUST DISCUSSED?
>> BUT IT'S IN DIRECT CORRELATION TO THAT.
>> WE DID, BUT WE HAD TAKEN A STANCE ON THIS, AND THIS IS NEW TO A LOT OF PEOPLE, VERY NEW TO A LOT OF PEOPLE.
WE TOOK A STANCE ON THIS AT OUR LAST MEETING.
SINCE THE WEEKEND WE'VE CHANGED THAT STANCE.
I TALKED TO A TEACHER TODAY THAT DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WE WERE CONTEMPLATING MASKS.
I DON'T WANT TO BLINDSIDE ANYBODY.
I WANT TO ALLOW THE PUBLIC TO AT LEAST BE ABLE TO SPEAK, AND I'M ASKING FOR FIVE DAYS.
>> WHAT I'M HEARING MR. JONES SAY IS A FIVE DAYS PUBLIC COMMENT.
>> FIVE-DAY PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD STARTING NOW.
>> HE MENTIONED A TEACHER WHO WASN'T AWARE OF IT.
PUBLIC COMMENT. PUBLIC EDUCATION. PUBLIC INFORMATION.
>> YES. A PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.
THEY CAN DIGEST WHAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT TODAY. THEY CAN COMMENT ON IT.
>> WHEN WE'RE ASKING THEM TO COMMENT, IS THAT BASED ON THE STATEMENT BEING DISTRIBUTED THAT WE ARE GOING WITH UNIVERSAL INDOOR MASKING? WHAT EXACTLY IS THE COMMENTING GOING TO BE IF THE STATEMENT IS ENOUGH?
>> THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION, MICHELLE.
I GUESS TECHNICALLY IF WE'RE GOING TO DISCUSS THIS VERY MUCH FURTHER, WE REALLY NEED TO HAVE A SECOND.
IF WE HAVE ENOUGH INTEREST TO HAVE AN IN-DEPTH DISCUSSION ON IT, WE SHOULD GET A SECOND AND HAVE A GOOD DISCUSSION ABOUT IT.
IF THERE'S NOT A SECOND, THE MOTION FALLS AWAY.
DO WE FEEL LIKE WE WANT TO HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION ON THIS? AS CHAIR, I'M GOING TO SIT HERE AND I SHOULDN'T BE MAKING A SECOND, I'M ASKING IF THERE IS A SECOND.
>> MY HEART'S WITH YOU. I JUST DON'T THINK WE CAN DO IT.
>> IF WE DON'T WANT TO HEAR PUBLIC COMMENT, WELL I DO. THAT'S WHY I MOVED THE MOTION.
>> WE DO. I DO TOO, BUT I JUST DON'T THINK [INAUDIBLE].
[01:10:01]
>> I DO TOO, BUT I FEEL LIKE WE HEARD IT.
>> IT'S FIVE DAYS. I THINK WE KNOW WHERE EVERYONE STANDS NOW.
I MEAN, WE DON'T WANT TO HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC.
>> BUT WE HAVE HEARD FROM THE PUBLIC, I GUESS I FEEL LIKE.
>> WELL, WE COULD HEAR FROM THEM FOR FIVE DAYS, BUT IF NO ONE WANTS TO STAND WITH ME, THEN THAT'S FINE.
>> IT'S NOT THAT WE DON'T WANT TO HEAR.
>> MICHELLE, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD? A MOTION, A SECOND, OR ANYTHING?
>> I'M GOING TO DO THIS. I'M GOING TO SECOND THE MOTION AS CHAIR JUST SO WE CAN HAVE DISCUSSION ON IT BECAUSE I WANT TO HAVE DISCUSSION ON IT.
>> I'LL SECOND MR. JONES' MOTION.
>> RACHEL FOR CLARIFICATION OR DEREK, I GUESS I SHOULD ASK FOR VERIFICATION.
WHEN THE DRAFT WENT OUT LAST WEEK, HOW LONG DID WE ALLOW FOR FEEDBACK?
>> IT WENT OUT THURSDAY MORNING AND WAS OPEN THROUGH THE END OF YESTERDAY.
>> THEN I PERSONALLY THINK THAT WE DON'T NEED LONGER THAN FRIDAY TO GATHER MORE INPUT SINCE WE ALREADY HAVE INPUT.
IT'S ALMOST LIKE PROLONGING THE ANSWER, PROLONGING THE AGONY, WHATEVER.
I THINK THAT IF WE WANT TO, AS A BOARD, EXTEND THE TIME, I WOULD SAY THAT IT BE EXTENDED FROM TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING.
>> WOULD THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE ALREADY REPLIED, WOULD THEY HAVE TO REDO IT, OR RE-REPLY?
>> I WOULDN'T THINK SO IF THEY REPLIED.
>> IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ADDITIONAL PUBLIC INPUT.
>> BUT WHATEVER WE'VE GOT IT STILL STANDS?
>> I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FRIDAY MORNING AND MONDAY, AT 5:00.
FRIDAY IS THE WEEKEND, I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT.
>> I WOULD ALSO SAY THE PLAN ISN'T THIS SPECIFIC ISSUE.
>> IT'S JUST TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO SPEAK.
IT'S FIVE DAYS TO ALLOW THEM TO SPEAK AND THEN MAKE THE DECISION.
WHEN I LOOK AND READ THROUGH THE QUARANTINE REQUIREMENTS, THERE'S NO CHOICE.
THERE'S JUST NO CHOICE HERE BECAUSE ULTIMATELY, IF IT'S NOT IN PLACE, WE COULD END UP WITH AN AWFUL LOT OF KIDS OUT.
IT COULD GET INTO THE ATHLETICS SEASON, AND IT COULD AFFECT THOSE TEAMS, BUT TO ME IT'S MORE ABOUT THE EDUCATION.
YOU COULD HAVE A CLASSROOM WITH HALF THE KIDS OUT BECAUSE THEY WERE EXPOSED TO ONE KID WHO TESTED POSITIVE.
>> TO ME IT'S ABOUT JUST BEING OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AND ALLOWING THEM TO SAY WHAT THEY WANT TO SAY.
>> I DON'T DISAGREE, MARK, ABOUT THE PUBLIC COMMENT BECAUSE THE THING IS I'M TORN HERE.
I THINK AT THIS POINT I WANT TO DO MORE PUBLIC OUTREACH IN EDUCATION TO THE POINT OF, IN MY MIND AND I CAN'T SPEAK FOR EVERYONE, AGAIN IT'S NOT ABOUT TRANSMISSION, IT'S ABOUT CONTINUITY OF TRYING TO GET CLOSER TO NORMAL.
WE DO HAVE SUMMER FEST COMING OUT IN THIS WEEKEND.
THERE'S GOING TO BE A BOOTH THERE.
THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY FOR CONVERSATIONS FOR ANYONE THERE.
I THINK FOR ME PUBLIC COMMENT IS ABOUT IF THE RULES ARE GOING TO CHANGE THAT WE'RE GIVEN TO OPERATE UNDER, COULD WE DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT? YEAH, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT THE RULES ARE GOING TO BE CHANGED.
>> THEY MAY NOT CHANGE, BUT IT JUST ALLOWS PEOPLE TO TALK ABOUT IT.
>> WAIT, I WANT TO EXPLAIN SOMETHING.
>> I'M NOT ARGUING ABOUT IT. I'M JUST TRYING TO EXPLAIN.
I FEEL LIKE THIS SHOULD BE A HEALTH DECISION MORE THAN POLITICAL.
>> WELL, I'M NOT SAYING THAT IT SHOULDN'T.
IF THE DECISION'S ALREADY MADE, I'M NOT SAYING THE DECISION SHOULD CHANGE.
I'M JUST SAYING THAT PEOPLE SHOULD BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT IT.
>> I DON'T FEEL LIKE WE SHOULD SET UP A MEETING ON MONDAY BECAUSE OF CIRCUMSTANCES, EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT THEY ARE, AND MAKE A DECISION ON IT ON TUESDAY AFTERNOON WITHOUT AT LEAST ALLOWING THE PUBLIC TO COMMENT ON IT.
NOT THIS DECISION. THIS IS A VERY DIVIDING DECISION THAT HAS TO BE MADE.
IT JUST IS. THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT THINK BOTH WAYS.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO MAKE EVERYBODY HAPPY. I UNDERSTAND THAT.
IN THE END WE'RE GOING TO DO THE BEST FOR THE STUDENTS.
I JUST FEEL THAT PEOPLE SHOULD HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT IT, TO HEAR WHAT HAS BEEN SAID TODAY, TO TAKE THIS INFORMATION AND DIGEST IT, THINK ABOUT IT, SPEAK IF THEY LIKE, AND THEN NEXT WEEK THE DECISION WILL BE MADE.
[01:15:02]
>> HOW WOULD YOU WANT TO GET THIS PUBLIC INPUT; REOPEN THE SURVEY, HAVE THEM EMAIL US, HOW DO YOU WANT US TO GET THE INPUT?
>> HOW WOULD WE NORMALLY GET THE INPUT? WHAT WOULD WE NORMALLY DO?
>> I WAS JUST ASKING FOR A POINT OF PROCESSING.
>> I THINK THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION FOR DR. SIEMENS.
>> PART OF IT THEN I'M PROCESSING THROUGH.
MARK, I APPRECIATE YOUR PERSPECTIVE AND WHAT YOU'RE SHARING.
THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE A CHANGE COMING DOWN THE PIKE TO RULES WE HAVE TO OPERATE UNDER.
WE WERE TOLD THIS IS THE FINAL RULES.
>> FROM THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
>> FROM MDH, MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, "THESE ARE YOUR FINALS RULES," AND MSD AS WELL, "THESE ARE YOUR FINAL RULES AND YOUR FINAL DATES." WE HAVE PARENTS, WE HAVE TO MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO FOR THE START OF THE SCHOOL YEAR.
WE HAVE ADMINISTRATORS, WHO ARE MAKING DECISIONS ABOUT HOW TO PREP THEIR STAFF FOR THE START OF THE SCHOOL YEAR.
AGAIN, WE ALSO HAVE TO DISCUSS WITH STAFF WHAT THOSE PLANS WILL BE TO REOPEN THE SCHOOL YEAR.
WEDNESDAY MARKS TWO WEEKS BEFORE KIDS COME IN.
WE NEED TO BE IN A POSITION THAT FOLKS HAVE TIME TO DIGEST WHAT THE POSITION IS.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT THERE'S NOT AN OPPORTUNITY FOR FOLKS TO GIVE FEEDBACK.
BUT SITTING WHERE I AM RIGHT NOW WITH THE DECISION THAT I HAVE BEFORE ME TO MAKE ABOUT THE MASK COMPONENT.
I DON'T SEE A BETTER OPTION AND TALKING WITH MANY PEOPLE, WITH MANY FOLKS IN EDUCATION, HEALTH DEPARTMENT FOR BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE A SAFE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT TO THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF KIDS, THAT WE HAVEN'T ANY OTHER OPTION, FOR LIMITING THE NUMBER OF QUARANTINES AND KEEPING THE MOST NUMBER OF KIDS THAT WE HAVE IN.
WHAT I WOULD BE FEARFUL OF AND WOULD BE CAUTIOUS OF, WE'RE GOING TO GET PUBLIC FEEDBACK REGARDLESS.
IT MAY HAVE ALREADY STARTED, I TRULY BELIEVE WE'RE GOING TO GET PUBLIC FEEDBACK, 100 PERCENT BELIEVE WE WILL.
I'M GOING TO GET FEEDBACK FROM PARENTS, WE'VE BEEN GETTING FEEDBACK THE WHOLE TIME AFTER OUR FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT WENT OUT.
WE'VE BEEN GETTING PHONE CALLS, WE'VE BEEN GETTING E-MAILS, AND THEY PICKED UP IN INTENSITY.
AS A SCHOOL YEAR BEGINS BOTH SIDES, TO MASK OR NOT TO MASK, AND THEY'VE BEEN COMING, IF PUBLIC COMMENT COMES OUT IN SUPPORT OR TOTALLY AGAINST MOVING IN THIS DIRECTION.
UNFORTUNATELY, AND I DON'T WANT TO DIMINISH PUBLIC COMMENT, KEEPING OUR BUILDINGS OPEN AND SAFE, TO MAXIMIZE FOR OUR KIDS TO BE ABLE TO LEARN AND TO KEEP THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF KIDS IN SCHOOL, THIS IS THE CLEAREST OPTION I HAVE TO DO THAT.
I GET FOLKS WHO ARE NOT GOING TO LIKE THE DECISION.
I GET PEOPLE WHO WILL NOT, AND I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND THAT BUT I WOULD HATE TO BE IN A POSITION WHERE WE'RE OPENING UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, BUT WE SEE THE DIRECTION THE DECISION IS AND WHERE IT'S GOING.
I DON'T WANT TO GIVE THE PERCEPTION OF PEOPLE THAT THEY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE ON THIS DECISION, OF WHETHER WE DO OR DO NOT.
I WANT TO BE CAUTIOUS WITH THAT OR I WOULD ASK THE BOARD TO BRING DOWNS AND ASK HIM FOR A MOMENT, AND I APPRECIATE THAT.
I'D BE CAUTIOUS ABOUT ASKING THE CITIZENS FOR A VACCINE FOR FREE.
[OVERLAPPING] IT'S A LEGITIMATE MOTION AND REQUEST.
BOARD, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? YES, I WONDER WHY ASSES SLIDE WE'RE UP THERE BECAUSE THAT'S COMPLICATED.
IT TOOK US A WHILE TO UNDERSTAND IT.
GOOD LUCK GETTING ALL YOUR TEACHERS TO UNDERSTAND IT IN TWO WEEKS.
BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT TWO WEEKS FOR THEM TO NOT JUST KNOW THIS AND UNDERSTAND THIS, BUT TO LIVE IT EVERY DAY ALONG WITH YOUR ADMINISTRATORS, YOUR STAFF.
I THINK IT'LL TAKE TWO WEEKS TO CLOCK INFORMATION.
BUT REGARDLESS, WE NEED TO BE PREPARED FOR THAT ANYWAY.
WHETHER WE MASK NOW OR WHETHER WE DON'T MASK.
[OVERLAPPING] ALL THIS STUFF THAT NEEDS TO BE PREPARED IN THE NEXT FIVE DAYS.
WE NEED TO BE READY FOR THAT ANYWAY.
AT ANY MINUTE, EVEN IF WE DIDN'T MASK AT ANY DAY IT COULD COME BACK [OVERLAPPING].
IT'S NOT GONE, NOR IT WILL BE.
IT'LL TAKE TWO WEEKS TO EXPLAIN THIS TO PARENTS.
DURING THE LAST YEAR, THE WHOLE CONTACT TRACING WAS WITHIN SIX FEET, REGARDLESS OF MASK, AT LEAST THEY'VE UPDATED THE GUIDANCE, IF WE CAN GET THREE FEET APART AND WEAR A MASK THEN WE DON'T HAVE TO QUARANTINE AS MANY.
IT'S NOT ENJOYABLE TO CALL FAMILIES AND TELL THEM THEIR KIDS.
[01:20:01]
BUT IT'S JUST HARD TELLING A PARENT YOUR CHILD HAS TO QUARANTINE. THEY'VE BEEN EXPOSED.[OVERLAPPING] THEY CAN'T PLAY FOOTBALL OR THEY CAN'T PLAY SOCCER.
LIKE MANY OF US WHO HAVE READ THE GUIDELINES THAT CAME UP FRIDAY.
IT'S COMPLICATED, BUT THAT'S SIMPLE.
IT'S A LOT SIMPLER THAN READING THROUGH IT AND I DON'T KNOW IF WE TALKED ABOUT IT, BUT HAVING THAT AVAILABLE FOR HANDOUTS, TO LET PEOPLE DIGEST THAT'S A LOT MORE, WHETHER IT'S SUMMER FEST OR BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHTS, THAT IS THE RULES WE'VE BEEN GIVEN TO PLAY BY, BUT BOARD MEMBERS, ANY ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION ON THE TABLE? [OVERLAPPING] IF WE SAID, OKAY, YES, WE'LL HAVE FIVE DAYS, WHAT WOULD YOU HOPE TO GET FROM THAT OR WHAT WOULD IT CHANGE? I DON'T KNOW IF IT WOULD CHANGE ANYTHING OR NOT, BUT IT JUST WOULD MEAN THAT OUR MIND WAS NOT MADE UP WHEN WE CAME IN HERE TODAY, THAT WE WERE OPEN, WE WERE HERE TO LISTEN, AND THAT THIS DECISION WAS NOT MADE SATURDAY OR SUNDAY OR MONDAY.
THAT'S MY [OVERLAPPING] THAT'S MY ANSWER.
I SAID THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PUBLIC INFORMATION AND PUBLIC INPUT, WE COULD ALSO INPUT FROM EVERYBODY.
THIS DECISION IS ALREADY MADE. THAT'S WHAT WE GOT TO DO.
WE COULD QUARANTINE REQUIREMENTS, THE ULTIMATE REQUIREMENTS.
WE HAVE NO CHOICE WE'RE IN A CORNER, WE'RE PINNED IN A CORNER.
I BELIEVE IN PUBLIC INPUT VERY MUCH, BUT NOT WHEN IT'S NOT GOING TO CHANGE THE DECISION, THEN IT'S JUST A SHAM.
WE'RE GETTING INPUT AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO CHANGE IT ANYWAY UNLESS THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT CHANGES THOSE RULES.
WE'RE STUCK WITH THOSE RULES. [OVERLAPPING] WE CAN CHANGE IT, IF WE WERE GOING TO WE COULD, I MEAN.
WE CAN'T CHANGE HEALTH DEPARTMENT RULES.
NO, WE CAN'T USE THEIR RULES, BUT WE CAN CHANGE THE DECISION.
I'M NOT ASKING FOR IT TO BE CHANGED.
[LAUGHTER] ALL RIGHT. A GOOD DISCUSSION BOARD ON IT'S NOT AN EASY THING, BUT DO WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR TO OPENNESS ISSUE UP FOR FIVE DAYS OF PUBLIC COMMENT AND WE HAVE A SECOND AND WE HAD SOME GOOD DISCUSSION.
ALL RIGHT, THE VOTE IS THREE AND THE NAE, ONE IN THE AFFIRMATIVE.
BOARD MEMBERS, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR DR. SIMONS BEFORE WE ADJOURN? NOT AT THIS TIME NOT TO MAKE DO WE NEED TO VOTE? I WOULD JUST ENCOURAGE US ALL AS BOARD MEMBERS TO CONTINUE TAKING PUBLIC INPUT, CONTINUE TALKING TO THE PUBLIC, CONTINUE EDUCATING ABOUT THE CONSTRAINTS AS WILL STAFF, I KNOW.
OVER THE COMING WEEKS AND HOPE OUR METRICS GET BETTER.
I GUESS THIS IS NOT PERMANENT THIS IS JUST UNTIL WE CAN GET TO A SAFER PLACE, WILL WE CONTINUE TO HAVE BREAK MASKS FOR STUDENTS? MARKS BREAKS.
YEAH, RECESS WILL STILL BE THERE FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.
WELL, MEMBERS IS THERE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? MOTION BY MR. BARTON? SECOND BY MR. GIACOMO. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR.
THANK YOU.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.