As of Tuesday, 950 positive cases of COVID-19 (307 children and 643 staff members) were reported at 668 child care centers. Statewide, 12,207 licensed child care operations are open, and the total number of reported coronavirus cases increased from 59 cases in mid-May to 576 on June 23.
The spike comes as experts and health officials seem to diverge on how risky it is for children to gather in groups like daycare and school classrooms. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that students be “physically present” in schools, saying that the educational benefits outweigh the health risks. The academy says it believes three feet of social distance is sufficient for the classroom and stated that “the relative impact of physical distance between children is probably small based on current evidence and certainly difficult to implement.”
But the guidelines from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that daycare providers consider a minimum of six feet of social distance and lay off students and most staff for two to five days if they have a confirmed case of coronavirus so that public health authorities can assess the situation.
About 1.1 million children in Texas were in state-licensed and registered child care homes before COVID-19 arrived. Several childcare centers have closed during the pandemic, and others reported a decrease in the number of children attending.
A University of Vermont study found that children get COVID-19 “much less often” than adults and that it is less likely to spread among children. He concluded that “transmission in schools may be less important in community transmission than initially feared.”
The American Academy of Pediatrics, which will publish the study in its journal, reiterated this in its orientation to reopen schools, stating that unlike the flu, children do not appear to amplify the COVID-19 outbreak. Other experts have also echoed these findings.
On Thursday, Texas released a new set of emergency rules for child care centers, reinstating safety mandates that had been repealed in mid-June. This includes requiring child care centers to check staff and student temperatures daily, parents to leave students out, and not serving family-style meals.
“Providers must follow the State Minimum Standards to ensure the health and safety of children in care,” Texas Health and Human Services Commission spokeswoman Danielle Pestrikoff said in an email. “HHSC has enacted emergency rules and requires operations to implement screening procedures that are aligned with the latest CDC guidance. We continue to advise child care operations to follow CDC guidance and those set forth in the List. Governor Abbott’s Texas Open Verification Box. “
The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs and engages Texans on public policy, politics, government, and state affairs.
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Coronavirus cases are on the rise at Texas child care centers, but the state has repealed the safety rules
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