MCPS will now send kids home for ten days based on symptoms only

[Anonymous]

And here is an interview with Gayles where he says that kids should NOT be quarantined for a single symptom https://www.google.com/amp/s/wtop.com/montgomery-county/2021/09/montgomery-county-health-officer-reflects-on-the-pandemic-and-his-new-job/amp/ in his own words
“I want folks at home to understand that, you know, we’re not arbitrarily giving out guidance to send kids home based upon, you know, one symptom. It is a total picture and assessment.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stop complaining already. You wanted schools open in full as normal, you got it.

Yup! This is what you wanted TogetherAgainMCPS, deal with it.

We want “TogetherAgainMCPS brought to you by new and competent leadership”. We got the former but not the latter.

Awww. Still bitter about having to pay for childcare and not being able to work in your jammies anymore? Here is the world’s smallest violin 🎻 playing for you.

What are you even on about? It’s parents who want free childcare. Nice try though! We know you only learned in the last year you can’t stand your own children, so you take it out on everyone else. I hope you get better soon!

DP. I don’t feel qualified to teach homeschool and the screen time aggravated my son’s condition very bad last year, my pediatrician tells us very little is best and the hours every day were way too much. I literally do not know what I would have done with public schools closed again as I cannot afford private. He’s so behind but his teacher is so understanding and says he’s not the only one.

If he is behind get some workbooks and work with him. Or, mcps offered tutoring and Saturday school last year. Lots of options.

Weren't those options virtual though?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Apparently the new “guidance” confirms what we’ve been hearing. If a child has “symptoms” associated with COVID (could be a runny nose) their close contacts (this has been interpreted as the entire class in many schools) are quarantined for ten days.

This is completely ludicrous and not based in science or CDC guidelines.

hey can't know with 100% certainty which kids within an overcrowded classroom came into contact over the course of several hours so quarantining the entire class is the best effort to follow CDC guidelines. I'm sorry you feel that isn't convenient but they are concerned with child safety.

If the CDC wanted to recommend quarantining the entire class if one person in it has a covid symptom, then they could do so. But they specifically have NOT done so. Maybe you should write to them.

I think the CDC knows parents in red states would stop listening to them altogether if they did that. Remember being told not to bother wearing masks?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And here is an interview with Gayles where he says that kids should NOT be quarantined for a single symptom https://www.google.com/amp/s/wtop.com/montgomery-county/2021/09/montgomery-county-health-officer-reflects-on-the-pandemic-and-his-new-job/amp/ in his own words
“I want folks at home to understand that, you know, we’re not arbitrarily giving out guidance to send kids home based upon, you know, one symptom. It is a total picture and assessment.”

I was expecting this to be from several months ago but the article was published yesterday. WTF! That's exactly what they are doing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Apparently the new “guidance” confirms what we’ve been hearing. If a child has “symptoms” associated with COVID (could be a runny nose) their close contacts (this has been interpreted as the entire class in many schools) are quarantined for ten days.

This is completely ludicrous and not based in science or CDC guidelines.

hey can't know with 100% certainty which kids within an overcrowded classroom came into contact over the course of several hours so quarantining the entire class is the best effort to follow CDC guidelines. I'm sorry you feel that isn't convenient but they are concerned with child safety.

If the CDC wanted to recommend quarantining the entire class if one person in it has a covid symptom, then they could do so. But they specifically have NOT done so. Maybe you should write to them.

I think the CDC knows parents in red states would stop listening to them altogether if they did that. Remember being told not to bother wearing masks?

So your position is that MCPS is following the guidance that CDC has actually NOT issued but would secretly like to?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Apparently the new “guidance” confirms what we’ve been hearing. If a child has “symptoms” associated with COVID (could be a runny nose) their close contacts (this has been interpreted as the entire class in many schools) are quarantined for ten days.

This is completely ludicrous and not based in science or CDC guidelines.

hey can't know with 100% certainty which kids within an overcrowded classroom came into contact over the course of several hours so quarantining the entire class is the best effort to follow CDC guidelines. I'm sorry you feel that isn't convenient but they are concerned with child safety.

It's absolutely not a best effort to follow CDC guidelines. In fact, it's the definition of a half-assed effort. They could enforce and monitor seating charts like other school districts so that quarantining can be targeted and effective. Having a classroom held hostage by a single kid exhibiting a single symptom evaluated by a school nurse is the height of poor management. What is going to change in the next few years? The virus is going nowhere. So this just how MCPS is going to conduct business now? The blowback is going to be fierce given how out of step they are regionally.

Also test scores are going to continue to tank. Unfortunately that will probably be the wakeup call for them because it's clear that right now that they are completely out of touch. Are ANY board members pushing back on this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:MCPS has already asked the county council to clarify the quarantine guidance because it is so out of step with the CDC and the rest of the country (and probably the world). Per Hucker a meeting is scheduled for September 24, where DHHS, CC, and Dr. McKnight will figure out how this craziness came about. The state and county is offering rapid tests to MCPS. Apparently, MCPS did not even ask and pretended that there are no tests. Everyone knows that the policy came straight from Dr Gayles. His last day is September 12 so they scheduled the meeting for September 13.

This is encouraging, thank you.

[Anonymous]

I feel so sad that I have to ask my 1st grader to lie if teacher at school teacher or nurse ask if she is sick or coughing. She keeps asking me why why why she has to lie and I tell her that I don't want anyone send home due to her!! I already provide negative pcr test result and a doctor note saying in her backpack that her coughing is not contagious at all, and it is just lingering coughing from a month old summer cold. And, this is the third pcr note I have her tested, right when she had a cold a month ago, right before school started, and right before this week school started.

I have already done all my best to provide a doctor note and pcr test a few times already, and I am keeping worried about this new covid quarantine policy and it adds to my kid stress level. This new policy is really ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MCPS has already asked the county council to clarify the quarantine guidance because it is so out of step with the CDC and the rest of the country (and probably the world). Per Hucker a meeting is scheduled for September 24, where DHHS, CC, and Dr. McKnight will figure out how this craziness came about. The state and county is offering rapid tests to MCPS. Apparently, MCPS did not even ask and pretended that there are no tests. Everyone knows that the policy came straight from Dr Gayles. His last day is September 12 so they scheduled the meeting for September 13.

This is encouraging, thank you.

Did MCPS ask for this meeting, or did the County Council (after numerous phone calls, tweets, and emails from the community)?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel so sad that I have to ask my 1st grader to lie if teacher at school teacher or nurse ask if she is sick or coughing. She keeps asking me why why why she has to lie and I tell her that I don't want anyone send home due to her!! I already provide negative pcr test result and a doctor note saying in her backpack that her coughing is not contagious at all, and it is just lingering coughing from a month old summer cold. And, this is the third pcr note I have her tested, right when she had a cold a month ago, right before school started, and right before this week school started.

I have already done all my best to provide a doctor note and pcr test a few times already, and I am keeping worried about this new covid quarantine policy and it adds to my kid stress level. This new policy is really ridiculous.

Sorry you going through with a legit reason your kid has a cough but the lying of parents are why we are in is position. The school had to change the policy because of parents lying and sending their sick symptomatic kids to school. We had a case where a parent were testing their kid but still sent them to school. So we get a letter that a kid tested positive on Sept 2 and where in school Sept 2. Parents are not trying to protect other people's kids so the schools have to crack down. Yes sucks my kids have allergies so I too am in the same case on bad allergy days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Apparently the new “guidance” confirms what we’ve been hearing. If a child has “symptoms” associated with COVID (could be a runny nose) their close contacts (this has been interpreted as the entire class in many schools) are quarantined for ten days.

This is completely ludicrous and not based in science or CDC guidelines.

hey can't know with 100% certainty which kids within an overcrowded classroom came into contact over the course of several hours so quarantining the entire class is the best effort to follow CDC guidelines. I'm sorry you feel that isn't convenient but they are concerned with child safety.

If the CDC wanted to recommend quarantining the entire class if one person in it has a covid symptom, then they could do so. But they specifically have NOT done so. Maybe you should write to them.

I think the CDC knows parents in red states would stop listening to them altogether if they did that. Remember being told not to bother wearing masks?

So your position is that MCPS is following the guidance that CDC has actually NOT issued but would secretly like to?

I think MCPS is being over cautious, but in the name of trying to avoid a systemwide shutdown.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Apparently the new “guidance” confirms what we’ve been hearing. If a child has “symptoms” associated with COVID (could be a runny nose) their close contacts (this has been interpreted as the entire class in many schools) are quarantined for ten days.

This is completely ludicrous and not based in science or CDC guidelines.

hey can't know with 100% certainty which kids within an overcrowded classroom came into contact over the course of several hours so quarantining the entire class is the best effort to follow CDC guidelines. I'm sorry you feel that isn't convenient but they are concerned with child safety.

If the CDC wanted to recommend quarantining the entire class if one person in it has a covid symptom, then they could do so. But they specifically have NOT done so. Maybe you should write to them.

I think the CDC knows parents in red states would stop listening to them altogether if they did that. Remember being told not to bother wearing masks?

So your position is that MCPS is following the guidance that CDC has actually NOT issued but would secretly like to?

I think MCPS is being over cautious, but in the name of trying to avoid a systemwide shutdown.

Considering they have 1000 kids quarantined over a few dozen cases, it sounds like overzealous quarantines are more likely to cause a shutdown than actual cases.

I mean, I’m in total agreement with testing and quarantines, and it’s been demonstrated time and time again that contact tracing and quarantines can prevent outbreaks. But it needs to be done with a scalpel, not a cleaver.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Apparently the new “guidance” confirms what we’ve been hearing. If a child has “symptoms” associated with COVID (could be a runny nose) their close contacts (this has been interpreted as the entire class in many schools) are quarantined for ten days.

This is completely ludicrous and not based in science or CDC guidelines.

hey can't know with 100% certainty which kids within an overcrowded classroom came into contact over the course of several hours so quarantining the entire class is the best effort to follow CDC guidelines. I'm sorry you feel that isn't convenient but they are concerned with child safety.

If the CDC wanted to recommend quarantining the entire class if one person in it has a covid symptom, then they could do so. But they specifically have NOT done so. Maybe you should write to them.

I think the CDC knows parents in red states would stop listening to them altogether if they did that. Remember being told not to bother wearing masks?

So your position is that MCPS is following the guidance that CDC has actually NOT issued but would secretly like to?

I think MCPS is being over cautious, but in the name of trying to avoid a systemwide shutdown.

Why would there be a systemwide shutdown?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And here is an interview with Gayles where he says that kids should NOT be quarantined for a single symptom https://www.google.com/amp/s/wtop.com/montgomery-county/2021/09/montgomery-county-health-officer-reflects-on-the-pandemic-and-his-new-job/amp/ in his own words
“I want folks at home to understand that, you know, we’re not arbitrarily giving out guidance to send kids home based upon, you know, one symptom. It is a total picture and assessment.”

So frustrating. No one can get this straight. Maybe he chose his words poorly and what he meant to say was that he believes that based on current community transmission sending kids home based on a single symptom is a wise choice. If that's his scientific judgment, then so be it, but I'd like to see a strong, clear justification for deviating from the CDC.

To his point on people's anger at public health officials, he's never quite gotten why people are frustrated. None of our public health officials -- not Fauci, not the CDC, not State health officials -- have spoken clearly or consistently or been transparent in their decision making. I get that it's a new virus and things change, but they need to do a better job of showing their work. Instead they just make pronouncements that don't even enjoy consensus among top federal officials, like the confusion over the third dose or the mixed messaging about the kids vaccine and the threat the virus poses to kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Apparently the new “guidance” confirms what we’ve been hearing. If a child has “symptoms” associated with COVID (could be a runny nose) their close contacts (this has been interpreted as the entire class in many schools) are quarantined for ten days.

This is completely ludicrous and not based in science or CDC guidelines.

hey can't know with 100% certainty which kids within an overcrowded classroom came into contact over the course of several hours so quarantining the entire class is the best effort to follow CDC guidelines. I'm sorry you feel that isn't convenient but they are concerned with child safety.

If the CDC wanted to recommend quarantining the entire class if one person in it has a covid symptom, then they could do so. But they specifically have NOT done so. Maybe you should write to them.

I think the CDC knows parents in red states would stop listening to them altogether if they did that. Remember being told not to bother wearing masks?

So your position is that MCPS is following the guidance that CDC has actually NOT issued but would secretly like to?

No, you're just interpreting the guidance incorrectly because it seems inconvenient to you.