Governor Gavin Newsom provided an update on the requirements for schools to reopen in person, the plan for distance education, and California’s response to the coronavirus. You can read the highlights below or watch the full press conference above.
HOW TO OPEN SCHOOLS
Schools can physically reopen this fall, but only if they’ve been off state COVID-19 monitoring list for 14 days. If schools do not meet this requirement, they must begin the fall with distance learning. The Los Angeles Unified School District has already announced that it will open with distance learning this fall.
While students, teachers, staff and parents prefer classroom instruction, that can only be done safely, Newsom said, adding that safety is determined by local health data.
Learning in California is non-negotiable, Newsom said, adding that schools must provide meaningful instruction during the pandemic, whether they are physically open or not. However, security is also non-negotiable for both staff and students, he said.
The Governor presented five elements of the state’s school pandemic plan:
- Safe in-person school based on local health data
- Mask requirements
- Physical distancing + other adaptations
- Regular testing + dedicated contact tracking
- Rigorous distance learning
All school staff and students in third grade and above must wear masks under the new guidelines. Students in Second graders and younger are encouraged to wear masks or masks, but are not required to do so. The ability to see expressions through face shields is important for younger children, the governor said.
Staff must maintain at least six feet of distance from other staff and students. The school day should begin with symptom checks, Newsom said, and there are expectations around handwashing, sanitation and disinfection stations, and quarantine protocols. Each school site must also have continuity and attendance plans.
There is a requirement to regularly evaluate rotating staff cohorts, and the state’s contact search workforce will prioritize schools.
When it comes to distance learning, new state requirements include:
- Access to devices and connectivity for all children.
- Daily live interaction with teachers and other students.
- Challenging tasks equivalent to face-to-face classes
- Lessons tailored for English learners and special education students.
The state outlined criteria for when schools should close Due to COVID-19 after prior reopening for in-person instruction:
- Schools must first consult with a public health officer
- A class cohort goes home when there is a confirmed case
- A school goes home when multiple cohorts have cases or more than 5% of the school is positive.
- A district closes all schools if 25% of its schools are closed within a 14-day period.
The guidelines include public and private schools through twelfth grade: The state is working with higher education leaders on guidelines for universities.
The state is also putting money to help students who cannot afford the tools for distance learning. California has invested $ 5.3 billion in additional funds to prioritize equity in learning, Newsom said.
There will be additional guidelines and guidance on how to assist students with special needs, State Board of Education President Linda Darling-Hammond said during the press conference. One of the tools under consideration is the Zoom breakdown room, to provide students with individual attention.
According to Darling-Hammond, officials have been training educators in teaching best practices for distance learning and for students with special needs.
Newsom said today’s announcement was personal to him as the father of four young children. He declined to comment on whether moving slower in the reopens would have allowed more schools to reopen this fall.
LAST CORONAVIRUS NUMBERS
Had 9,986 new cases of COVID-19 yesterday: the seven-day average is 8,838.
the positivity rate it is down Newsom said modestly: the 14-day positivity rate is 7.4%while the seven-day rate is 7.1%. That’s a 7.3% increase during that period, Newsom said.
Had 129,000 Newsom said people did tests, the average is 124,000 tests per day. The goal remains to increase testing, he added, though who’s testing is focused on change.
COVID-19 hospitalizations keep increasing – to 22% increase in the last 14 days, from 5,595 to 6,808.
COVID-19 patients are occupying 9.2% of the state’s total hospital beds, while 63% of the total are occupied.
Admissions to the UCI They are up to 15% in the last two weeks to 1,941. That compensates 16.6% of the total ICU beds in the state.
Thirty-two of the state’s 58 counties They are now on the state’s COVID-19 watch list, though it is likely to hit 33 soon, Newsom said.
There is increased use of fans in Stanislaus, Imperial and Tulare County in particular, Newsom said. He added that Napa and other counties do not have much capacity left in the ICU, but the state hospital system is configured to absorb patients from other counties.
Newsom reminded people that Wear a mask, physical distance, Wash your handsand minimize mixing to prevent COVID-19 from spreading.
Our news is free on LAist. To make sure you get our coverage: Subscribe to our daily coronavirus newsletter. To support our nonprofit public service journalism: Donate now.
