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“GOOD MORNING DENNIS AND TONNY FROM WHITE PLAINS NY USA WHERE IT’S 72 CLOUDY WPCNR DEGREES, IT’S ALSO 3 WEEKS BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS.

I TALKED WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT YESTERDAY TO SEE WHERE THEY WERE ON OPENING. I WAS INFORMED BY THE DISTRICT BUT AT THE END OF LAST WEEK THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT COMMISSIONER BETSY ROSA ANNOUNCED A GUIDE TO REOPENING THE STATE’S SCHOOLS FOLLOWING STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND CDC GUIDELINES, SUPERINTENDENTS WERE NOTIFIED OF THIS GUIDE LAST THURSDAY, THE 12^TH.

ROSA ALSO ANNOUNCED ON THE SED WEBSITE  IN A LETTER TO SUPERINTENDENTS THAT THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT WOULD SET GUIDELINES FOR SCHOOLS BECAUSE THE NY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ANNOUNCED IT WOULD NOT.

 WELL I READ THIS 21-PAGE REPORT AND IT COVERS VACCINE POLICY, MASKING POLICY, SOCIAL DISTANCING RECOMMENDATIONS AND STRATEGIES, AND SPORTS AND PERFORMING PROGRAMS.

THE KEY TAKEAWAY I GET AFTER READING THIS IS THAT SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN WESTCHESTER AND WHITE PLAINS AND NEW ROCHELLE ARE ON THEIR OWN.

WHY?

BECAUSE THE “GUIDELINE” BOOKLET ISSUED DOES NOT SAY SCHOOLS HAVE TO DO ANYTHING RECOMMENDED. THEY ARE “GUIDELINES.”

I ASKED THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT PRESS OFFICE IF HARD FAST MUST DO RULES WILL BE ISSUED OR WHETHER SCHOOLS WERE ON THEIR OWN. THEY SAID THEY WOULD GET BACK TO ME. THE OTHER BIGGER QUESTION IS WHETHER EACH SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS TO HAVE THE SED APPROVE THEIR POLICIES ON REOPENING.

 AT THIS POINT IN WHITE PLAINS, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS NOT DECIDED ON A VACCINE POLICY THE CLERK TO THE SCHOOL BOARD TOLD ME. WHEN THE DISTRICT REOPENED FULL TIME ATTENDANCE IN MAY ALL TEACHERS AND STAFF HAD TO BE VACCINATED AND THERE WAS SOCIAL DISTANCING AND MASKING REQUIRED.

AT THIS POINT THE BIG DECISION EVERY DISTRICT HAS TO CONSIDER IS VACCINATING ALL STUDENTS ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE THE VACCINE. IT IS GETTING LATE FOR THIS DECISION.

THE COUNTY SAID THEY WOULD HELP IN YESTERDAY’S BRIEFING WITH COUNTY OPERATIONS DIRECTOR JOAN MCDONALD ANNOUNCING THE COUNTY WOULD BRING VACCINATIONS TO ANY SCHOOL OR DISTRICT THAT WANTED THIS SERVICE FOR THE NEXT THREE WEEKS.

THE SHOTS WOULD INCLUDE THE STANDARD IMMUNIZATIONS AND ALSO THE COVID SHOT OR SHOTS FOR ELIGIBLE STUDENTS PRESUMABLY.

IT DOES NOT MAKE SENSE NOT TO DO THAT.

DR. JOSEPH RICCA THE WHITE PLAINS SUPERINTENDENT, WILL ADDRESS THE DISTRICT ON FACEBOOK AT 12 NOON AUGUST 27 TO TELL HOW SCHOOL WILL OPEN IN WHITE PLAINS AND HE WILL HAVE A QUESTION AND ANSWER ZOOM ON SEPTEMBER 1

COVID IS NOT SLOWING DOWN IN WESTCHESTER COUNTY

THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY AND SUNDAY THE COUNTY INFECTION RATE CONTINUED AT SUPER SPREADER RATES OF 2.8% THURSDAY, 2.4% FRIDAY AND 2.9% ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY.

742 NEW CASES OF COVID IN THE COUNTY WERE REPORTED ON THOSE 4 DAYS. 185 A DAY AVERAGE.

IN 14 DAYS AT THE SPREAD RATE FORMULA THOSE 742 PERSONS WITH COVID COULD INFECT 5,000 OTHER PERSONS BY AUGUST 31. THE AVERAGE INFECTIONS PER DAY RIGHT NOW CONTINUES TO PUSH IN THE VICINITY OF 200 NEW INFECTIONS A DAY.

ASSEMBLYMAN TOM ABINANTI OF GREENBURGH ADVISED THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH HAS ORDERED HOSPITALS AND LONG TERM CARE FACILITIES TO VACCINATE ALL WORKERS WHO HAVE NOT BEEN VACCINATED.

IN FACT 166,000 HAVE NOT BEEN VACCINATED. IN NURSING HOMES 34% OR 45,000 WORKERS HAVE NOT BEEN VACCINATED. I WAS UNDER THE MISTAKEN IMPRESSION THAT HOSPITALS HAD VACCINATED ALL WORKERS AND TOOK 5 WEEKS TO DO THAT LAST DEC AND EARLY JANUARY. WHO KNEW? I DON’T UNDERSTAND THAT. HOW COULD THEY NOT? HOW COULD LONG TERM CARE FACILITIES NOT? VACCINES HAVE BEEN AVAILABLE FOR 8 MONTHS. IT IS AN HONOR TO REPORT FOR WVOX, SEE YOU NEXT WEEK.”