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Morning Briefing

Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations

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Monday, Aug 3 2020

Full Issue

K-12 Schools Face Daunting Obstacles Before Reopening

More schools report COVID cases and parents understandably fret. And President Trump's son's private school in Maryland remains closed.

Georgia's largest school district has confirmed that around 260 employees have either tested positive for Covid-19 or have been exposed. The Gwinnett County School District (GCPS) employees won't be returning to school just yet as districts across the country continue to adjust their back-to-school plans to prevent the spread of the virus. The situation in Gwinnett is fluid, GCPS spokeswoman Sloan Roach told CNN in an email Sunday evening. (Paget and Silverman, 8/3)

As schools and universities plan for the new academic year, and administrators grapple with complex questions about how to keep young people safe, a new report about a coronavirus outbreak at a sleepaway camp in Georgia provides fresh reasons for concern. The camp implemented several precautionary measures against the virus, but stopped short of requiring campers to wear masks. The virus blazed through the community of about 600 campers and counselors, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Friday. (Rabin, 7/31)

The debate about how, when and if schools should reopen for in-person learning isn’t going anywhere. State guidance on reopening made only suggestions for safe reopening, but mandated nothing. No plans are required to be reviewed or approved. (Herron, 8/2)

John Barrett plans to keep his daughter home from elementary school this year in suburban Atlanta, but he wishes she were going. Molly Ball is sending her teenage sons to school in the same district on Monday, but not without feelings of regret. As the academic year begins in many places across the country this week, parents are faced with the difficult choice of whether to send their children to school or keep them home for remote learning because of the coronavirus pandemic. Many are unhappy with either option. (Amy, 8/2)

As U.S. workers look ahead to fall, the realities of remote education and precarious child care are hitting single parents harder than most segments of the workforce. Lacking a co-parent with whom to share the additional workload at home and unable to rely on support systems such as grandparents and babysitters, many single parents are struggling to care for kids while earning a living. They are often the sole breadwinner in their homes, so cutting back hours or taking a leave of absence isn’t feasible. Some say they are simply out of options. (Weber, 8/2)

Many nurses have been working with their school districts over the summer to prepare plans for every scenario imaginable. But they say that's not the case for everyone."I know a lot of nurses have asked to be at the table and they're not being invited or disregarded," said one. "And honestly, would you want your child to return to a school where a school nurse was not part of the plan?" (Lombardo, 8/1)

There’s growing evidence that the coronavirus can linger in the air, including several documented cases that linked poor ventilation to spread of the virus. The state is advising schools that while masks are the best defense against that, better ventilation can help too. (Goldberg, 7/31)

As school districts across the country are trying to determine how or if they can open their doors in the fall, a California coalition has come together - offering districts everything from curriculum to architecture advice to take their classrooms outside. (Booker, 8/2)

Also —

President Donald Trump insists that schools reopen so students can go back to their classrooms, but the Maryland private school where his son Barron is enrolled is among those under county orders to stay closed. Montgomery County Health Officer Dr. Travis Gayles said his order to stay closed for in-person instruction through Oct. 1 and to conduct online classes only will be reevaluated before Oct. 1 to determine whether it should be extended, terminated or amended. (Superville, 8/2)

This is part of the Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.
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