To answer that I spoke to Deputy Health Officer Mark Fox.
“We can’t say for sure whether it truly was based on classroom transmission, alone, or even primarily, but certainly in that age group, there was a lot of transmissions,” Mark Fox, Ph.D., St. Joseph County Deputy Health Officer.
“I think just in general, that, from Notre Dame all the way down through the k through 12, schools, we’ve seen very little evidence of classroom-based transmission. We’ve seen more transmission at the level of high school, much less at the elementary school level,” Dr. Fox said. “and yet, it’s hard to pin down how much of that is truly school-based transmission, versus those same high school students gathering, you know, for extracurriculars, or just social gatherings outside of school altogether.”
Does this statement suggest that kids are sick and capable of transmitting Omicron when they come to school? How much transmission is occurring either outside of school or inside of school? The Doctor suggested that any transmission that happens, “happens outside of school.” It also suggest that precautions being taken inside school prevent any transmission of Omicron.
If the general population took the same precautions as the students inside school, and employees inside school take, would there be less transmission in the general population as a whole?
-https://www.abc57.com/news/are-schools-the-safest-place-for-your-kids
The Chicago Teachers Union is setting the stage for all teachers and other members to refuse to work in-person beginning Wednesday in conditions they deem unsafe.
The union has scheduled a vote for its more than 25,000 members on Tuesday during the day, asking if they support refusing to work in-person starting Wednesday but to work virtually instead. Tuesday’s vote will be followed by a vote that afternoon by the union’s elected House of Delegates on the refusal action.
-https://www.wbez.org/stories/chicago-students-to-return-to-class-monday-amid-debate-over-covid-19-safety/086d207e-9bdc-4a74-9eac-7faf5dc1770d
Officials are determined to keep schools open, despite omicron
a fact…pediatric hospitalizations — are rising…
Around the country, mayors, governors and the U.S. secretary of education have been speaking forcefully in favor of keeping schools open.
“Our expectation is for schools to be open full time for students for in-person learning,” Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said on Fox News Sunday.
Meanwhile, some teachers unions are pushing for delays and stronger safety measures. Some parents and students are worried too.
One fact to keep in mind, you may not get a do over.
Here's A Thing... 