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White Plains Superintendent of Schools says White Plains Schools are not experiencing as many covid cases as they did last September–“Confident” in White Plains HVAC filter systems installed at beginning of pandemic

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. From the Westchester County Department of Health. October 10, 2022 UPDATED October 11, 2022:

Dr. Sherlita Amler, Commissioner of the Westchester County Department of Health, announced last week the County Health Department would be furnishing air purifying systems to 29 school districts located mostly in towns and cities where new covid infections risen in the last 4 weeks since schools started.

The districts are receiving the air purifiers at a cost of $5.2 Million through covid aid.

The districts receiving the air purifiers are White Plains, Arsdley, Bedford, Bind Brook-Rye, Bronxville, Chappaqua, Croton-Harmon, Dobbs Ferry, Eastchester, Edgemont, Greenburgh-Graham, Hawthorne-Cedar Knolls, Hendrick Hudson, Irvington, Katonah-Lewisboro, Mamamaroneck, Mount Vernon, North Salem, Ossining, Pleasantville, Putnam Northern Westchester BOCES, Part Chester, Rye Neck, Scarsdale, Somers, Southern Westchester BOCES, Tarrytown, Tuckahoe, and Yonkers.

White Plains Superintendent of Schools Dr. Joseph Ricca in a statement to WPCNR said he was not aware of when the county-promised air purifers would be delivered, but confirmed that White Plains Schools had been equipped with air purifiers two years ago. Dr. Ricca’s statement:

“We also learned of the county’s acquisition of new filters, however, we are not yet sure of how/when that distribution/installation process will take place. When we learn more, we will be sure to share the details.

As you know, we installed filters a couple of years ago (at the beginning of the pandemic) so we are confident in our HVAC/air filtration systems within the buildings. 

With regard to COVID-19 numbers, fortunately, we are not experiencing the types of impact that we did in previous years. Still the virus is present and we do learn of some instances of community members coming down with COVID. To date, we have not experienced any appreciable spikes based on the information that we are receiving from our educational community. “

In the county press release no reason was given as to why the districts listed above needed the purifiers now after 2 years and 9 months of the covid epidemic in Westchester. Did they not spend district dollars to add air purifiers if when advised to do so? Have school days with no covid limits generated significant new infections accelerating?

Since school started September 9 when mask mandates and social distancing precautions were lifted by New York State, these districts receiving the purifiers closely parallel the communities which have the highest number of overall community infections.

Dr. Amler in a statement after her briefing last Tuesday, said “Air filtration is an effective part of a layered approach to reduce exposure to airborne contaminants. I am grateful to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and to the New York State Department of Health for supporting our effort to improve air quality in our schools.”

The areas according to the Westchester County Covid case count by community, with the higest rates of covid new cases in the county the last two weeks are as of October 6

TOWN/CITY ACTIVE CASES (2 WEEKS) DAILY CASES PER WEEK

YONKERS 672 45 315

MT VERNON 210 18 126

NEW ROCHELLE 203 18 126

WHITE PLAINS 183 17 119

YORKTOWN 174 18 126

GREENBURGH 154 5 35

CORTLANDT 130 7 49

NEW & NORTH CASTLE 128 7 49

MT PLESANT, BRONXVILLE 114 11 77

TARRYTOWNS 107 12 84

Those 13 areas accounted for 2,075 infections of 3,089 new covid infections since school started after Labor Day or 67% of all covid cases in the county the last two weeks. The 13 areas averaged 1,200 infections daily.

School Districts are required to report new covid infections to the County Board of Health, however districts are no longer required to report new covid cases in school buildings and the district to the state.

The County Board of Health has not disclosed the number of new infections reported by school districts to the County Board, so it is impossible to conclude decisively that school infections are escalating the county covid account.

And another thing, no district to this reporter’s knowledge has reported covid hot spots to parents and teachers. At least in White Plains, the district has not.