MCPS Officially announces schools opening as planned

[Anonymous]

On a day that we had the most number of cases reported in the county ever -- over 2,000.

Should be an interesting ride.

[Anonymous]

Where is the official announcement?

[Anonymous]

That’s yesterday’s number. Today’s is likely to be higher.

That said, is there evidence of omicron transmission in schools?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:On a day that we had the most number of cases reported in the county ever -- over 2,000.

Should be an interesting ride.

These kinds of decisions should not be based solely on the number of COVID cases, so good for MCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Where is the official announcement?

Sorry forgot the link. https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/publicinfo/community/school-year-2021-2022/Community-Update-20211230.html?fbclid=IwAR118Vz36k1BR001aCDS2AoNPXKtilNwk28Z5bwV1d8N3c6mZBpDfYxmn1o

[Anonymous]

There needs to be mandatory testing at the schools.

[Anonymous]

Well, dang. I guess at least some of them are at work this week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That’s yesterday’s number. Today’s is likely to be higher.

That said, is there evidence of omicron transmission in schools?

Please don't start that again. Studies cannot separate school and community transmission. No study about school transmission has been able to withstand scrutiny because of confounding factors. It stands to reason that unmasked, elbow-to-elbow seating during daily lunch are super-spreader events with Omicron, which is 10 times more transmissible than Delta. So please just stop with that question. Schools can safely open only when cases are low. They will have a hard time staying open now when positivity is over 20%. Whether it's system-wide, individual school closures, or granular classroom closures, we will have a very rocky January.

All parents can do is send in their children with KF94 masks, or N95 masks if their faces are adult-sized.
If they are worried, they need to pull their children from lunch, or pull their children out entirely - unfortunately, that's reserved for people who can afford it.

[Anonymous]

Yes. As a system they are coming back in person. Each individual school can and ay close depending on student population/staff positivity rates. It makes sense. Its a giant system. The only problem is that higher positivity rates will probably be and impact the kids that need to be in school the most.

[Anonymous]

Good for MCPS. I was sweating bullets. Glad Dr. McKnight has the courage to do what’s right for the kids for once.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That’s yesterday’s number. Today’s is likely to be higher.

That said, is there evidence of omicron transmission in schools?

Please don't start that again. Studies cannot separate school and community transmission. No study about school transmission has been able to withstand scrutiny because of confounding factors. It stands to reason that unmasked, elbow-to-elbow seating during daily lunch are super-spreader events with Omicron, which is 10 times more transmissible than Delta. So please just stop with that question. Schools can safely open only when cases are low. They will have a hard time staying open now when positivity is over 20%. Whether it's system-wide, individual school closures, or granular classroom closures, we will have a very rocky January.

All parents can do is send in their children with KF94 masks, or N95 masks if their faces are adult-sized.
If they are worried, they need to pull their children from lunch, or pull their children out entirely - unfortunately, that's reserved for people who can afford it.

Are you genuinely arguing for permanent school closures for months every winter? That is what the bolded means in practice. Covid is permanently here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well, dang. I guess at least some of them are at work this week.

Shocking, isn't it!?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That’s yesterday’s number. Today’s is likely to be higher.

That said, is there evidence of omicron transmission in schools?

Please don't start that again. Studies cannot separate school and community transmission. No study about school transmission has been able to withstand scrutiny because of confounding factors. It stands to reason that unmasked, elbow-to-elbow seating during daily lunch are super-spreader events with Omicron, which is 10 times more transmissible than Delta. So please just stop with that question. Schools can safely open only when cases are low. They will have a hard time staying open now when positivity is over 20%. Whether it's system-wide, individual school closures, or granular classroom closures, we will have a very rocky January.

All parents can do is send in their children with KF94 masks, or N95 masks if their faces are adult-sized.
If they are worried, they need to pull their children from lunch, or pull their children out entirely - unfortunately, that's reserved for people who can afford it.

Are you genuinely arguing for permanent school closures for months every winter? That is what the bolded means in practice. Covid is permanently here.

DP and also, keeping schools open is not solely about COVID. That people in a county as highly educated as this one *still* think that’s the only relevant public health come is mind-boggling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Good for MCPS. I was sweating bullets. Glad Dr. McKnight has the courage to do what’s right for the kids for once.

Amen

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Good for MCPS. I was sweating bullets. Glad Dr. McKnight has the courage to do what’s right for the kids for once.

I agree, but she could go a step farther and expand testing. I'm tired of hearing MCPS whining about too few families giving permission. One of my kids hasn't been asymptomatically tested all year. If they can't even test the kids who signed up for the program, what difference would it make to sign more up more students?