From KELO AM News, Governor Kristi Noem has shut down schools for the next week:
Gov. Kristi Noem has ordered all public K-12 schools closed next week for deep cleaning due to the coronavirus outbreak.
She also encourages private schools to follow suit. Noem says she’ll reevaluate the closures and whether to continue them next week.
Will this satisfy the Argus?
Good! Too bad Chic-Fit-a isn’t opened yet, however, because then all of the kids could go and get some chicken during their break.
So wait, I’m confused because the position has changed so many times in the last week or so.
Is this a big deal or a media hoax?
Bad! Not one student has been diagnosed with coronavirus. Why didn’t she force schools to shut down for deep cleaning after the young boy from Hartford died because of complications from the flu? As Dr. Maher mentioned, what about all those children whose only source of food is from school?
This also has a trickle down effect on people VSG often calls the working poor. I surely hope the otherwise healthy people do not stop going out. If people are scared into not going to restaurants or other entertainment places, many families will be seriously financially hurt.
I think the best way to stop the virus is to shut everything down and reduce our economy to rubble, in kind of a scorched-earth policy. That way, there’s not much left for the virus to destroy.
Well, that’s an interesting perspective. Is it similar to the one Bill Maher had when he expressed his hope for an economic crash so to get rid of our POTUS?
Let me explain what the smart people have in mind when they suggest social distancing measures in the short term.
The number of people that will eventually get this is basically set, the only difference is how quickly is spreads throughout the population. If you just assume that it wont effect or hurt you because you are healthy and this is no worse than the normal flu, then you are helping facilitate the rapid spread. The disease does not become more lethal by itself, but our ability to treat it, and all the other normal health issues in America becomes overwhelmed in this scenario and people that could have been saved, are not. If we are able to slow the spread, we lessen the immediate burden on the healthcare system, and increase the amount of people that get quality, lifesaving treatment.
So PLEASE just hang tight for a few weeks for everyone else’s sake.
This decision is a travesty.
Kids are safer in schools.
1,500 kids in Sioux Falls get two meals a day at school.
For working families living paycheck to paycheck, staying home is not an option especially since they are working less hours because of the virus.
They don’t have the resources to pay for day care.
So, the few kids who will be supervised are likely to be grandparents who should not be around kids who can be asymptomatic.
Thus, if there is an absolutely worse decision that can be made regarding the virus and our States response, Noem has made it.
During such times of suffering, I can’t even imagine the type of person who would pile onto the suffering of our working poor with such utter recklessness.
To be clear, the only people who I know who think this is a good idea are people of means who can make arrangements. Teachers, working people, and those who serve the poor are universally appalled.
What you’ve said here I share a similar sentiment. My job requires the general public show up, I serve ppl for an entertainment option only. And, if eventually the govt would only allow people go to work and home, my coworkers and I are screwed – this thought was the topic of many conversations last night. Some (former military) made interesting martial law comments and I’m leaning towards this not being a good thing to do.
Another topic – this is way too overblown. Yes, we should take extra precautions, but we’ve been doing what is being requested for years during the cold and flu season.
Another – As some regulars were missing, we had a full house and people were having fun: eating, drinking, laughing, dancing. The public showed up for my most recent shifts and expressed they will continue – they haven’t been scared into some sort of self-quarantine, especially if they are healthy. I’d put money down the public would still show up to the SF parade and many other events that have been cancelled.
Another – Many mothers often express wanting to stay home with their young children and are taking advantage of the closure. One said it will give her time to reteach all the leftist bs. I laughed at that one.
I don’t know what’s happening with the closure of almost everything, but the feedback I’ve received from the general public does not reflect much of the hype and fear porn going on.
That’s why if you know a working class family that will economically struggle with this decision, then you need to help them.
I am also of an impression, that some are still in denial about the severity of this virus. This is not a time for partisan politics. Viruses know no politics.
Also, this is not a time – nor is any time – to have crocodile tears for the working class.
I am very upset they canceled the state bb tournaments and march madness.
North Dakota is not closing their schools for these reasons (copied direct):
1). Children have not been identified as a vulnerable population to become seriously ill from contracting COVID-19.
2). Closing schools will inevitably lead to many parents and caregivers without alternate childcare options. Many parents could be forced to stay home from work, including essential health care workers, which could have unforeseen consequences on the ability to care for affected populations.
3). Many families may turn to alternate caregivers, such as grandparents and other elderly extended family members, who are known to be more vulnerable to COVID-19.
https://www.nd.gov/dpi/nddpi-guidance-covid-19
These are the exact reasons at the root of my visceral reaction. As I do with business decisions, what often sounds good on paper has unintended consequences or “on-the-ground” information not considered in the ivory tower. So, I spoke to two teachers and a person I trust to see another side. All three had strong opposition to this decision along these lines with a few more.
Maybe the best protection in rural communities is to close the schools (I wonder since you know the high school students will be traveling to the big towns but i would defer to that local decision). But there are 139,000 students (25,000 in Sioux Falls alone) so it is unlikely one-size fits all, an inclination most Republicans understand viscerally.
The Governor made a real big decision by executive fiat and as a matter of transparency she should explain who she relied upon on to convince her that it served the public health, what was their rationale, and what was the view of Superintendents and public health people in different communities. Further, if she did this in opposition to Superintendents or local public health personnel, what was her information to overrule the judgment of those on the ground and understand the needs in their community.
BTW, her argument they need to do a deep clean is nonsense. While the virus can live at room temperature on some surfaces for up to 9 days (not yet sure yet if it still infectious that long), unless she intends to close schools permanently or a month when the season passes, it doesn’t take long after the kids are back and all these and every other germ is all over the place. In reality, the best protection is for our teachers to be constantly wiping surfaces and monitoring the health of their students (which they did before and will always do).
Further, since the virus’ doesn’t live at higher temperatures, the most effective “deep clean” would to be to crank the furnaces all night long and keep classroom temperature above 80 degrees during the day.
It is this long life outside the body which makes this virus so pernicious and why it is imperative to develop natural herd immunity. CDC says 60 million Americans (yes 60 million) and over half the children got swine flu in 2009-2010 but roughly 59 million didn’t know they had it or mistook it for a cold. But because of this broad exposure (and it is in the flu vaccine) we have herd immunity (when is the last time you heard about the swine flu?). Yes ultimately we will have a vaccine but we do not have it yet. And, when it first comes available, it will go to the most vulnerable (elderly and health compromised children). It was not until the second year after the swine flu outbreak before we had it in the general flu shot.
In short, as good as it sounds on the surface to do all these general population quarantines, etc., we place ourselves at risk of a repeat unless the vaccine is available sooner and in quantities not currently considered possible. Long-term we beat these viruses by herd immunity gained by exposure of those not at risk and development of natural antibodies so they are never susceptible to infection or to be carriers in the future.
While appearing to serve a public health function, except for non-public health experts (and parents who have the means to protect their children at home), I can not find a single resource who advocates a general school closure when there has not been a confirmed case in the school. In fact, there is not a consensus even with a confirmed case. North Dakota advises schools who have a confirmed case to call their DOH so an informed decision can be made based on the situation.
The reason colleges are closing is the students are on spring break and have been who knows where. Thus, they decided it would be worse to have them come back to our communities. I think it is clear our K-12 kids have not been all over (but some might now have been since we just gave them a week vacation).
The Governor owes us an explanation on her justification for doing something which directly affect 139,000 students, their parents, and others in the community.
Let’s give people a reason to stay home. Get the state BB tournament cranked up. You can’t get the virus from a TV screen. Game on, let’s go.
You have a plan to provide paychecks for all the people who work those games?
You won’t have to pay many people with only a couple hundred spectators.
P.S. I understated the numbers. 10,000 SIoux Falls students who receive free or reduced price lunch and breakfast. I don’t recall why I thought it was only 1,500 students.
The CDC just recommended that all schools should be closed for eight plus weeks.
Yes, this virus is not hard on the youth population, but they can be carriers of the virus.
I apologize for going political here, but I can’t resist. Troy, I’ve never seen you go so negative on a Republican governor’s decision before. Just for curiosity sake, is Mickelson planning to primary Noem in 2022? 😉
Your statement of the CDC position on closings is exactly opposite to what you said abov. CDC does provide for some exceptions based the specific situation. Further, because this virus has minimal effect on children (as opposed say influenza), they make it clear they have a higher threshold for closure with Covid19 as compared to influenza.
If you read the attached, the only reason to have school closings is if there is evidence of SUBSTANTIAL (my emphasis) Community Spread. We don’t have even minimal spread.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/considerations-for-school-closure.pdf
Regarding your other comment, I have never regulated my comments on major issues because of perceived political or partisan impact. This is a decision that affects directly 139,000 students and their parents. How many health care workers will be staying home now because their kids would otherwise be unsupervised?
She made a decision that has no supporting justification I can find and strong justifications for otherwise. In fact, your post caused me to find the CDC position which contradicts her decision directly. If she has a justification, I think we deserve to know what it was and what was the view of the Supers and public health experts.
“We don’t have even minimal spread.”
But that’s what Italy thought, too, initially. I’ve heard between 50 to 70% of us will get the virus. It has a 2.5% death rate. You do the math.
It’s called flattening the curve.
But what about Mickelson?
Honestly, I think some are trying to still downplay this virus because of the fears of what it will do to the economy; and the market is the only Trump card the GOP has going into the fall of 2020.
i keep wondering about the people who keep thinking any comment is political? Starting to think they are just projecting onto others their motives.
I will bet you as much as you want the number infected will be less than The swine flu and the morbidity will be less. Pick your number. I love when people are buying into models where every projection fork assumes the worst. Just tell me the amount.
P.S. I have no idea if Mickelson is planning to run for something or moving to Tahiti. I am not avoiding the question. I just find it silly.
You cant even be honest about the rate of spread of the disease, so forgive my skepticism regarding your questions about the integrity of others.
Troy – Everything with VSG is political, he also loves to bring Trump into any equation he can even when it’s not Germaine. This is what Leftest do and he has a severe case of TDS, just comb through his comments here and on every single blog. Social Media., etc. You would think he was Don Lemon’s siamese twin and getting paid by CNN. This is what the Left has devolved into, they have nothing but, AntiTrump and politicize everything, even a Virus. If Obama was president now, even though I may disagree with him on a policy I have to assume he is doing what he can to do what is best for our country.
First sentence is unclear. Fits and starts as I did other things.
It should read “The CDC position on closings is exactly opposite to what you said above, with an exception if there is substantial community spread.”
Regarding the other comment, to be clear, I have no idea whose plans are what and it wouldn’t make a difference. In fact, If there would be a decision made by Thune I so disagreed with, he’d be disappointed in me if I held back.
Troy, as always, is a moron. Children are disease vectors. Though they themselves are not at risk, the disease can spread easily from family to family if infected children are interacting with non infected children in a closed environment. Those newly infected children then return home to share their illness with parents and grandparents.
Your reasoning Sounds like Faux science formed over coffee.
I will stick with the clear direction of the CDC which says school closings MAY (Not shall) be appropriate only when there is SUBSTANTIAL community spread.
We don’t have even minimal spread.
Closing schools is a measure to reduce the likelihood of substantial communication its spread. By the time there’s substantial community spread, closing schools will be irrelevant.
You must not be a parent, Troy. Anyone whose ever had children in the school system knows how quickly colds and the flu travel from family to family via children.
Sounds really like a good idea. Wow, why didn’t the CDC think of that? You should be on TV. You don’t need no stinking science. You can just figure it by using claiming to be a mom.
Or one can go with the CDC who studies how diseases spread and people interact over time outside of strict supervised quarantines and they say this in their “Considerations for School Closings:”
“Available modeling data indicate that early or short-to-medium closures do not impact the epi curve of COVID-19 or available health care measures (e.hospitalizations).”
Here is the entire document from the CDC. You argue from your “faux science.” This parent and grandparent knows “quarantining” 15,000 students at home might sound good on paper but knows reality is something different. As the CDC knows too.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/considerations-for-school-closure.pdf
Can we be smart by not shaking hands, keeping a little more distance, cleaning more, washing hands, covering mouth when coughing etc, YES!!! Do we shut down society because of bug that is similar to the flu, H1N1, SARS, etc. NO!!! People have gone overboard on this stuff
H1N1 affected 59 Million Americans, 260k hospitalized, and 12k died. I don’t recall the hysteria then but, we did declare a National Emergency and it was not as bad as folks feared.
I think we are overreacting tremendously as a country and it’s going to hurt a lot of people very badly, to a point they may not recover. The fact that Hoboken NJ has declared a curfew shows me what a bunch of Sheep people are and it almost feels like the Government is practicing on how far they can scare people into submission. Just makes you pause and think a little about what a p@ssy @ss culture we have turned into and only 2 generations removed from the Generation that fought WW2.
Troy, Trump came out today and said school from home where possible, limit gatherings to 10 people, among other things.
Still feel the same way?
Yes. School from home keeps the schools open for whom school from home is not an option. He specifically did not advocate a general school closing. If he was asking for a general school closing, he’d have advised or ordered a general school closing.
Epidemologists (those who study spread of disease and how to mitigate the spread of disease) build models based on actual human behavior (not presumption of universal compliance or other unrealistic expectation) over time and observed behaviors that are able to be sustained.
Realities which justify keeping schools open (except where there is substantial community spread):
1a) Not every household is ideally functional with regard to disciplines and behavior control. School provides significant control and supervision and teachers give observation not otherwise performed.
1b) Those households ideally functional and capable of providing control and supervision were free to make those decisions.
2) The economic impact of events like this will add to the dysfunction in the homes described in #1a.
3) 15-20% of health care workers and first responders have children in the household and having to stay home with children can significantly impact the capacity to deliver vital service during a public health event when demands are actually higher than normal.
4) 31% of all children live in household’s with one parent. To large degree, except for the few single parents who can stay home, these children will be unsupervised (where school supervision would be better for our public health) or supervised by elderly neighbors or grandparents (who should be protected from interaction with those who are likely to be asymptomatic hosts).
5) From in particular Italy, we are getting feedback on the unintended consequences of these economic slow-downs after more than two weeks on the public health mostly because of how it is affecting the supply chain, provision of public services and just the impact of wholesale shutdown on mental health (abuse reports are exploding).
6) Related to above, closing schools is a bullet of last resort in the event it becomes necessary to do a national shut-down to “flatten the curve” in a macro manner. Noem’s pre-emptive action will make a subsequent shutdown less effective because of all the manifestations of non-compliance or unintended consequences are more likely to be seen the longer the forced behavior is imposed.
7) In order to not trade one public health problem (COVID-19) for another (hungry kids), the Sioux Falls School District and various charities are undertaking various efforts to get meals for the 10,000 (sorry I understated the number earlier) children who receive free or reduced meals for breakfast and lunch. Unfortunately, this is less than ideal as in how do the kids get to school if they are unsupervised or without planning how do we distribute to their homes (if we know where they really are)? Further, how most of the kids will get fed is by coming to the school that was shutdown.
8) Managing through a school shutdown and “shelter in place” type instructions are possible for households who are functional and economically secure. Since 40% of children of the Sioux Falls children get reduced or free meals, a very significant portion of our citizenry will have extreme difficulties managing this shutdown.
Noem’s shooting of this option prior to it being epidemiologically justified will only add to the strain and decrease its effectiveness if we later need it most.
This said, if Noem had information which epidemiologically justified it or she got advice from people on the ground such as from our Superintendents, city leaders or others who influenced her decision to mandate a general school closing, I’m open to hearing it and changing my mind.
Also, while not conceding this was a good decision, “guessing right” contrary to best available information is just lucky. Confidence in our system depends on leadership communicating clearly and acting rationally.
I said it in the beginning: A decision which affects so many people warrants transparency, especially when it runs counter to guideline from the CDC and has so many obvious negative impacts as I describe above. To this day, four days later, I know no more justification for this decision than what is said before (“deep cleaning” which makes no sense since the virus would be dead over the weekend and would be reintroduced when people show up again).
So you think the CDC banning all gatherings over 10 people does not include classrooms of 25 or more, recesses and lunches of 3-5x that??
I think without a refutation of that very clear directive (which schools clearly violate) your entire word salad paragraph is meaningless….However, for the sport of it…
1a) unfortunately sometimes the greater good has to prevail here. While these discipline problems can be serious, the curbing of this crisis is literally a worlwide pandemic and no solution will be perfect. Also, as businesses are continued to be closed and workers laid off, more people will be able to be home with their children.
1b)see above
2) the president understands this and has promised money in the pockets of all americans until this over
3)Daycares are still open, and they can take kids to freinds houses who are also out of school. And let me stop you before you say that is also a risk as it is literally orders of magnitude less. 1 kid can spread to an entire school of 200 in a week, and their families and so on… or a daycare of 5-6…
4) even single parents have friends that also have children around their age so they can help out. Also, see daycares above, if schools are fine than daycares are orders of magnitude better
5) yes there will be a severe impact on the economy… the less we bend the curve the worse the impact will be on the economy… that is universally agreed so I believe this argument is one for being cautious with schools.
6) where has closing schools ever been called a bullet of last resort besides by you? How does this jive with the idea that you cant gather more than 10 people? Why would you be able to eat in a giant cafeteria when you can only get drive thru at McDonald’s?
7) can’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good here. Programs are set up and caregivers notified about lunches that are prepared and delivered in a way that significantly reduces the chance of transmission and spread. Banquet and other orgs stepping up to make sure no one goes hungry… trump sending checks to feed everyone and pay their bills
8) pretty much all of your arguments are economic based and when all of these businesses have to shut down as well it proves that they are a moot point compared to the health impacts. And the government will solve them with a little universal basic income.
You were (and still are somehow) way wrong on this one Troy
You can infer anything about the President’s words you want but if he wanted a general school closing, he’d have said it. He doesn’t mince words. And the CDC has not changed its guidelines on school closing.
If Noem had sound justification and expert advice when she did this, I’m open to hearing it. I hope she has better logic and reasoning than you have displayed.
1a & b) I’m not talking directly about supervision and discipline regarding being naughty, I’m talking about supervision and discipline about not doing things to spread the disease. If you think high school students who already are not listening to their parents are sitting home, you are naive beyond belief. There is a reason CDC guidelines remain and have not been updated for schools to remain open except where there is substantial community spread.
2) Promises of future assistance does not help today and today, where there is dysfunction, dysfunction will worsen. I hope this isn’t the logic and assumption that was considered when Noem made this decision.
3) Most of these households do not have “back-up” day-care and existing daycares can’t handle an influx of over 10,000 elementary students just in Sioux Falls. Further, give me a single example of a single day-care provider who would take on a doubling or tripling of kids in their center with no notice, especially kids and from families who they don’t know. If you have ever tried to procure daycare, you’d realize how out of touch your statement is.
4) You think single family households whose children receive reduced or free school lunches have friends who stay-at-home? You sound like one who doesn’t know anyone who isn’t affluent. I hope this isn’t the logic and assumption that was considered when Noem made this decision.
5) I am not talking about long-term impact. I’m talking about real-time adverse impact getting worse the longer there is a general shutdown. Noem’s use of this option before it was deemed epidemiologically appropriate will make its effectiveness less and problematic if needed during a general shutdown.
6) See #5 for your first sentence. Regarding the 10 people congregating, if you had listened today Fauci said it was ideal guidance and is neither always possible or appropriate in all situations.
7) My point is the Sioux Falls Schools are trying to meet the nutritional needs of the children by opening the school that Noem closed. Do you get the conflict here? That said, I’m glad people are stepping up to do the best they can to help kids who are going to miss meals because of this policy. But if you think all these efforts will feed more than 20% of the kids, you are dreaming. Further, the checks will not arrive for weeks. Promises of checks are not calories today.
8) My arguments are based on economic realities and family dynamics which exist every day in these houses, it is why epidemiologists don’t assume perfect compliance or expect structural cultural weaknesses to disappear in an emergency but might actually get worse in time and why they depend on certain institutions to mitigate those structural cultural weaknesses.
It is the ultimate in stupidity to think people act more rationally and altruistically when under stress and fearful.
The President and his team are the most capable at leading us through this and we don’t need cowboy’s going off half-cocked who are following and feeding, instead of leading, the fearful mob.
BTW, on the Governor’s Covid-19 website it states we have no counties which have minimal community spread and no suspected or confirmed cases. We have no schools with minimal community spread. In fact we have nobody under the age of 19 who has the been confirmed with the disease.
The website has the CDC guidelines for closing a school for a week and only if done in response to a case in the school where it asks the school to consider these two factors when making a decision (even then not necesarily close):
a) Allows for decontamination and Allows time for epidemical evaluation and contact tracing; further action can be scaled based on epi investigation.
b) Social mixing may still occur outside of school with less ability to monitor, especially among older students.
Final comment on what the CDC says: ” In places where school closures are necessary, the anticipated academic and economic impacts and UNINTENDED (my emphasis) impacts on disease outcomes must be planned for and mitigated.
Provision of academic support (e.g., tele-ed), alternatives for school-based meals as well as other services (e.g., behavioral and mental health services) for economically and physically vulnerable children, support for families for whom telework and paid sick leave is not available, ensuring that high risk individuals continue to be protected must all be addressed. Special consideration must be given for health care workers so that school closures do not impact their ability to work.
Did you hear the Governor discuss any of these matters addressed or considered with her plans? Especially the first one since you seem to assert it is good for the public health (how you are so sure unless you are a epidemiologist?).
Now all this said, I’m more than willing to admit it was a good decision if someone would provide epidemiologically backed up information. I’m further willing to leave this alone if someone would provide ANYTHING which will give confidence this pre-emptive firing of the bullet* won’t make it worse if we need to close the schools in the future.
* The President said there were many other bullets at his disposal but he won’t consider them until they are warranted. We still have no justification on why it was warranted we did something in direct conflict with clear guidelines from the CDC.
Transparency on the justification is all I really ask. If the President can talk to us daily about his decisions, I think it reasonable for the Governor to explain this decision.
Well said, Troy.
Social distancing has changed the landscape almost overnight.
How long can we realistically maintain this a level of shutdown? The consequences of these widespread closures may be hard to grasp.
What no one has really explained, is why these measures that are now “prudent” or “essential” weren’t even considered in 2009 when the Swine Flu infected 60 million and killed more than 12000 in the US.
And I’ve yet to hear any official state exactly what criteria they will use to allow life to get back to normal.
The President said to school from home and the CDC said to avoid crowds of over 10 people and this guy is arguing that keeping schools open is in line with that advice?
Cmon now!
From the CDC website: “Closing schools early in the spread of disease for a short time (e.g., 2 weeks) will be unlikely to stem the spread of disease or prevent impact on the health care system, while causing significant disruption for families, schools, and those who may be responding to COVID-19 outbreaks in health care settings. It may also increase impact on older adults who care for grandchildren. Waiting to enact school closures until at the correct time in the epidemic (e.g., later in the spread of disease) combined with other social distancing interventions allows for optimal impact despite disruption.”
The President was quite clear regarding “home from school” as he called on FAMILIES to keep their children from school if they can and will quarantine them. If he had ordered or recommended general school closings, you really think Donald Trump would be coy? Really? But he didn’t because
1) The President knows a large percentage of families can’t have their kids come home without planning to insure they will be quarantined. And especially older students who are unsupervised will become a greater threat to themselves, their families and their community because they will social mix.
Other things on the CDC website regarding why school closings for two weeks (this going to two weeks is even more in conflict with CDC guidelines):
1) Modeling data for other respiratory infections where children have higher disease impacts, suggests that early short-term closures are not impactful in terms of overall transmission.
2) Social mixing may still occur outside of school with less ability to monitor, especially among older students.
3) Will increase risk to older adults or those with co-morbidities, as almost 40% of US grandparents provide childcare for grandchildren. School closures will likely increase this percentage.
4) Disproportionate impact of children being out of school whose parents/family members are hourly and low-wage workers. (Promises of future aid doesn’t change the reality today).
5) Consider non-closure social distancing first (e.g., staggering recess, cancelling assemblies and inter-school events.)
Today, Noem said she was extending the closure to make sure our testing capabilities are up to snuff. In the same press conference, she said testing would be done as it is now (with Dr. recommendation).
In other words, her reasoning is total nonsense:
1) If a child at home is observed with symptoms which warrant testing as determined by the doctor, the child will be tested. How does that change if the school’s are closed another week? It doesn’t.
2) If a child at school is observed with symptoms which warrant testing as determined by the doctor, the child will be tested. How does that change if the school’s are closed another week? The child isn’t observed by a teacher.
3) It was said in the press conference we are getting the tests done which are following the protocol. The efforts to increase capacity is to be able to meet the possible increased demand.
Which I guess makes sense when you consider the idiocy of this closure and the extension since to re-open schools, it might be necessary to test every kid since they are asymptomatic and they have been given freedom to run for two weeks.
Most of the reason for my harping is I was begging for leadership to give justification for this decision in conflict with clear CDC guidelines. Leadership depends on open, honest and rational conversation. Today, it was even more nonsense than doing a deep clean (remember, we have absolutely no confirmed cases of anyone under 19 years old and absolutely not a single case where a person has been in a school).
All I’m doing is taking the CDC and the President at their word (without reading anything into it). Clarity is critical during this time. I really hope there is a rationale greater than “I’m guessing at what the President meant.”
The newest study from the imperial college cites schools as responsible for 1/3 of the spread in a pandemic like this. Well done Mrs Noem, way to listen to the EXPERTS and not keyboard warriors like Tro.
Way to misrepresent the study.
“In the second scenario, more intensive interventions could interrupt transmission and reduce case numbers to low levels. However, once these interventions are relaxed, case numbers are predicted to rise. This gives rise to lower case numbers, but the risk of a later epidemic in the winter months unless the interventions can be sustained.”
Everything I have said is direct form the CDC Guideline on for School Closing.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/considerations-for-school-closure.pdf
If the Governor has information which warrants not adhering to what are clear guidelines or an explanation for not following the guidelines (compliance which she said in the press conference she was doing for all community decisions), I think a decision this significant would warrant an explanation so we can have confidence in her decisions on this and other matters.
P.S. the study you cite is from a college in Great Britain and called the “Imperial College COVID-19 Response Team.” I have no idea why they are considered experts and the CDC is not.