Maricopa County medical director wants data-based school reopenings
Jul 23, 2020, 4:35 AM
(Getty Images/Justin Setterfield)
(Getty Images/Justin Setterfield)
PHOENIX — Maricopa County Medical Director Dr. Rebecca Sunenshine believes the reopening of school classrooms should be based upon data, not an arbitrary date.
“I think that [resuming in-person education] needs to be decided by a group of experts in both education and public health,” she said during a press conference on Wednesday.
Sunenshine declined to offer a specific criteria, but said she wants to see general downward trends for new cases of COVID-19 along with more widespread testing and more timely results.
The county’s top medical official added children are not as likely to contract and spread COVID-19 as much as other demographics, but that reasoning alone should not facilitate a premature return to in-person learning.
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“Remember, the staff and teachers that are in schools — they are adults and they are more likely to have severe illness,” she said.
On July 16, Gov. Doug Ducey announced he was standing by his decision to resume in-person instruction Aug. 17 for Arizona schools.
In the meantime, the county’s health department is guiding school districts on things like proper distribution of school lunches.
“The lowest risk is for students to be at home and eat their meals at home,” Sunenshine said.
“If that is not happening, the next lowest risk is having students and staff eat in a classroom, or in small groups maintaining six feet of distance, particularly facing in the same direction.”
She has also advised schools to quickly remove students or teachers if they display symptoms in the classroom.
“Put a mask on that person — that’s called source control,” she said.
“Then, the health aid or school nurse or whoever is available to evaluate that person needs to have full personal protective equipment on.”
Full PPE includes a surgical mask, covering for the eyes, gown and gloves.
Sunenshine said sick students or teachers should go home right away and see a doctor.
Public health inspectors will then look into the situation, possibly recommending closure for the impacted school.
“It depends on the percent of the students that are absent, the percent of students that are having symptoms, what type of exposure there was and what community transmission looks like,” Sunenshine said.
“So that [school closures] would be on a case-by-case basis.”
The county is also providing PPE for school nurses and health aides in the form of starter kits that contain gloves, masks, gowns, goggles and other gear, but does not possess enough kits for students, teachers and staff.
