Anonymous wrote:Also, then FINE, get rid of these ineffectual masks and let the kids see eachother's faces.

+1 honestly

Also, then FINE, get rid of these ineffectual masks and let the kids see eachother's faces.

Anonymous wrote:My understanding is that they still need to be out for the entire 10 days. The reason is that the under five crowd in preschools and daycare‘s don’t wear their mask the entire time. They eat together and sleep together which would risk exposing the other children. Even with the negative Covid test it really is an abundance of caution to avoid the spread since they are unvaccinated.

This makes no sense to me. How often does someone test negative at day 5 only to then test positive at day 9/10??

My understanding is that they still need to be out for the entire 10 days. The reason is that the under five crowd in preschools and daycare‘s don’t wear their mask the entire time. They eat together and sleep together which would risk exposing the other children. Even with the negative Covid test it really is an abundance of caution to avoid the spread since they are unvaccinated.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Every time they post guidance they create confusion. They should just follow the state.

I’m beginning to think it’s deliberate rather than straight up incompetence. The county’s ongoing lack of consideration and understanding towards working families and parents who would dare to use childcare is feeling more republican by the minute.

I believe it is deliberate. Our center director, who has a lot of interaction with DHHS and I trust, told me that no one at DHHS wants to take responsibility for something tragic happening to a young child and that is what is driving the decisions. She said it does not matter how exceedingly rare a severe outcome is in a young child or whether there are other greater everyday risks, no one in MoCo government wants to take the risk of a headline that a child had a severe outcome from a case caught in a daycare. The irony is of course we are harming kids through draconian policies to protect from something unlikely to harm them. So I believe they are very vague about what they put in writing and say it is only guidance daycares can do what they want. But I know providers are frustrated because they are confused and are looking for actual guidance.

It's absurd that we have DHHS making decisions based on fear and feelings rather than science. And no elected officials seems willing to call them on it.

I really feel this is the legacy of Dr. Gayles. I hate that he was subjected to racist harassment but he used that as an excuse to call anyone who questioned him in any way a racist.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Every time they post guidance they create confusion. They should just follow the state.

I’m beginning to think it’s deliberate rather than straight up incompetence. The county’s ongoing lack of consideration and understanding towards working families and parents who would dare to use childcare is feeling more republican by the minute.

I believe it is deliberate. Our center director, who has a lot of interaction with DHHS and I trust, told me that no one at DHHS wants to take responsibility for something tragic happening to a young child and that is what is driving the decisions. She said it does not matter how exceedingly rare a severe outcome is in a young child or whether there are other greater everyday risks, no one in MoCo government wants to take the risk of a headline that a child had a severe outcome from a case caught in a daycare. The irony is of course we are harming kids through draconian policies to protect from something unlikely to harm them. So I believe they are very vague about what they put in writing and say it is only guidance daycares can do what they want. But I know providers are frustrated because they are confused and are looking for actual guidance.

It's absurd that we have DHHS making decisions based on fear and feelings rather than science. And no elected officials seems willing to call them on it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Every time they post guidance they create confusion. They should just follow the state.

I’m beginning to think it’s deliberate rather than straight up incompetence. The county’s ongoing lack of consideration and understanding towards working families and parents who would dare to use childcare is feeling more republican by the minute.

I believe it is deliberate. Our center director, who has a lot of interaction with DHHS and I trust, told me that no one at DHHS wants to take responsibility for something tragic happening to a young child and that is what is driving the decisions. She said it does not matter how exceedingly rare a severe outcome is in a young child or whether there are other greater everyday risks, no one in MoCo government wants to take the risk of a headline that a child had a severe outcome from a case caught in a daycare. The irony is of course we are harming kids through draconian policies to protect from something unlikely to harm them. So I believe they are very vague about what they put in writing and say it is only guidance daycares can do what they want. But I know providers are frustrated because they are confused and are looking for actual guidance.

Anonymous wrote:Every time they post guidance they create confusion. They should just follow the state.

I’m beginning to think it’s deliberate rather than straight up incompetence. The county’s ongoing lack of consideration and understanding towards working families and parents who would dare to use childcare is feeling more republican by the minute.

Every time they post guidance they create confusion. They should just follow the state.

I have been following this issue very closely and read the previous guidance and attended the childcare forum last month. At the end of the forum, DHHS explicitly said exposed children under 5 who can mask can return to childcare after 5 days with a negative test. I find the Feb 9 guidance to be more unclear. and possibly regressive.

https://health.maryland.gov/phpa/Documents/01.06.2022%20Memo%20School%20Childcare%20Guidance.pdf

First, the guidance applies to "Persons who are not fully vaccinated or are not boosted, despite being eligible." Why the last part? Children under 5 are not eligible. Why would guidance between for unvaccinated who are eligible and not eligible?

Second, whereas the previous memo explicity said that children can "return to school or childcare" on day 6, this memo says that they can "leave home."

It is only implied that ages 2 to 4 can return on day 6 by the following FAQ:

Are children under 2 years of age recommended to return earlier than 10 days to a child care setting from isolation or quarantine?

This would imply that someone older than 2 could return earlier than day 6.

Does anyone actually understand what the current guidance is? Can daycares allow exposed children ages 2 to 4 to return on day 6 with a negative test?

Disappointlingly, test to stay appears to be only available when all of the students are ages 5 and above, which also contradicts what was said at the forum, that test to stay was an option. I'm not aware of any daycares or even a preschool class where all of the children are ages 5 and above.

The lack of competence and cowardice is so disappointing.