Tuesday Briefing: Governor and Experts offer Tips for sending Students back to School
Governor Mike DeWine spoke from his home in Cedarville, discussing cases, showing the rank of counties by coronavirus occurrence, and a map of back to school models.
The Governor revealed numbers about young people contracting the disease and also added a map of how students will be attending classes across the state. Here are some details:
School Information/Student Information:
The Governor says he thinks our schools are doing a very good job getting ready for in-person or virtual schooling – or both. He says he has every confidence that they will do everything they can to keep Ohio’s children safe – but whatever is going on in their communities will be reflected in the schools. He urges everyone to wear a mask, social distance and avoid large gatherings.
Look out 17 year olds! 17-year-olds seem to be contracting coronavirus at higher rates than their younger peers. This could be because they are more likely to socialize with more people.
Children DO get Covid-19, they are not immune. Dr. Patricia Manning of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital says the younger the child the more likely they are to spread because of the close contact of care for young children. Children and teens are at great risk for spread because they are more active and more social.
Doctors say 4 things need to be done to keep students safe and healthy. These are in the order of importance:
- Wear a mask
- Social distancing 6 feet is best.
- Hand Washing and using sanitizer. A regular schedule in school and home.
- Cleaning surfaces. It doesn’t need to be elaborate but surfaces need to be wiped down frequently
- Ventilation – open windows, take a class outside, that’s best.
This is the percentage of cases per age group. You can see that the number of positive cases are increasing in our younger age group
This map shows the breakdown of how public schools are approaching the upcoming school year: in-person return (yellow) vs. fully remote learning (blue) vs. a hybrid model (green).
Today’s Numbers:
Travel Advisory – here’s the latest:
Ohio’s current travel advisory advises against travel to six states with above 15% positivity. We ask that you self-quarantine upon returning to Ohio if you do travel to any of these states.
Rates of Occurrence:
Both Columbiana County and Seneca County health officials have concerns about flea markets where there have been large crowds, no masks, and no social distancing. I remind those in charge of flea markets to do all you can to ensure social distancing and encourage masks. Here is a closer look at the top ten counties with the highest number of cases per 100,000 people. Stark County is ranked 65th out of 88 counties.
