New York City schools closed because of Covid-19. Partially true. The rate of infection reaching the three percent positivity rate threshold closed the schools. And parents are outraged. Claims of lack of leadership abound. But is it justified? And who is really to blame? And was it avoidable?
My Covid-19 Scare
A week before Thanksgiving, I had the scare of my life. Without warning, I became sick. I had diarrhea, vomiting, rapid heartbeat followed by muscle aches and tiredness. I checked the signs for Covid-19 and took the online self-assessment. Based on my symptoms, it is recommended I get tested.
My granddaughter was with me because of remote teaching. I sent her to my mother, who lives downstairs. Next came sanitizing anything I touched and then self-quarantine. I called my immediate family members that live in the house with me and told them what had happened. Of course, my mom wanted to check on me, but I stopped her from entering my room.
The next day, I got tested. Two days later, I got my results; they were negative. I won’t go into what caused my illness because it has no bearing on this article.
Tougher Then You Think
So why am I telling you this? Because nothing was more eye-opening than having to send my granddaughter away for her own good. All she understood was that I was ill, nothing else. I did not mention the virus, but I kept her at a distance and put on a mask right away.
That one act showed me that we have got to stop playing games with this virus. I have taken it seriously since its arrival, but this was different. Nothing shakes you more than going into quarantine mode to protect the ones you love.
With this in mind, I looked at the closing of schools and asked the question. Should schools be closed or open?
The Deal That Made You Can Break You
Let’s look at why New York City schools closed and see how we got here. The mayor’s deal with the Teachers Union is well-meaning but flawed. And the effort to keep it going is also flawed. Parents wanted schools open, and they got it. But did anyone stop and think that the deal that opened the schools can also close schools? And no amount of re-working the numbers matter. Why?
The answer is simple if you want to see it. The infection percentage rate to close down the schools is a good one. If there is a rise in the infection rate in a school that school will be closed. However, it does not take into consideration the infection rate outside the school. That is the inherent flaw in the planning. In this scenario, if the infection rate outside the school is high but the school itself is low should the school remains open? Does that sound safe to you?
How It Should Work
The infection percentage rate set for inside the school remains. It errs on the side of caution. But the infection rate outside of school, (the microcluster), must be taken into consideration. If the infection rate outside the school reaches a point where travel to the school is hazardous, then the school is closed. Schools in unaffected zones remain open. But what should that rate be? In the interest of uniformity and the end of political bickering, we should use the rate that Governor Cuomo is using. After all, the governor has responsibility for all schools.
In the interest of transparency, parents must receive information stating this procedure. Parents that do not agree must then agree to remote learning. There is no compromise on this point.
Walking In The Covid-19 Minefield
Look at it this way. Inside the school your child is safe. But first, you have to get there. You and your child have to pass through a hot zone to get to the school. The same applies to teachers and other school staff.
Getting to the school through a hot zone is like walking through a minefield. And as the infection rate climbs, the minefield gets more mines. It becomes so treacherous that the chance of survival is negligible. And there it is, Covid-19, waiting to blow up and infect anyone near it.
It doesn’t matter that inside the school is safe when you’re outside. And your kid is there too. Add to this the fact that you have to do this twice a day while the virus grows more virulent. That 3% you agreed to doesn’t help when the outside infection rate is climbing. As the infection rate rises, the result would be New York City schools closed again.
The Governor’s Plan
Reading the thorough and somewhat confusing plan the governor has come up with, there is one thing that stands out. He and his team have tried to cover as many bases as possible.
- Source: COVID-19 Micro-Cluster Strategy
- See cluster zone restrictions and the maps of the current clusters which are color-coded Red, Orange, or Yellow.
- Source: Governor Cuomo Details COVID-19 Micro-Cluster Metrics
My take on this is, the infection rate for schools must be lower than the surrounding area. Schools are close quarters locations requiring a lower infection rate and much testing. An infection in a school will spread fast unless caught early.
The infection rate outside the school can be higher but not much higher. As stated, you have to pass through the minefield to reach the sanctuary. Traversing a minefield with few mines has a higher probability of success than one that is dense pack and getting denser by the hour.
Homeschooling During The Age of Covid-19
Homeschooling has taken on a new twist. We now call it remote learning. And it can work, but it requires sacrifice. I know because I’m doing it with my granddaughter. And when daycare is closed I have my grandson too. So yes, it’s hard but necessary.
No doubt, remote learning cuts into everything. I’ve had to arrange my day around the school schedule. A simple run to the grocery store now requires precise timing. But I would rather this than have my grandchildren walk the Covid-19 minefield. What about you?
We have covered the effect but not the cause. Who is to blame for the school closing? Hell, who’s responsible for the rise in the infection rate? That’s the person(s) we need to deal with.
Like A Nuclear Winter
Because of these people the virus is over us like a nuclear winter. Like a nuclear winter, it affects all of us and seems to have no end in sight. unlike a nuclear winter, irresponsible actions add to its duration and intensity. Instead of working to end the nightmare these the following continue to happen again and again.
Fueling The Increase In The Infection Rate
- Source: $15,000 Fine After Secret Hasidic Wedding Draws Thousands of Guests Nov. 24, 2020, Updated 3:04 p.m. ET
- “This was amazingly irresponsible,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said of the event in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
- Source: At dinner parties and game nights, casual American life is fueling the coronavirus surge as daily cases exceed 150,000
- Source: How the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally may have spread coronavirus across the Upper Midwest
- Excerpt: Within weeks of the gathering that drew nearly half a million bikers, the Dakotas, along with Wyoming, Minnesota, and Montana, were leading the nation in new coronavirus infections per capita.
- Source: What U.S. States Require Masks In Public? Updated daily.
- Check here to see which states do not require masks. Keep in mind there was a time when this map had more red and yellow than green.
- Source: Some COVID-19 Patients on Their Death Beds Still Believe Coronavirus Is a Hoax, South Dakota Nurse Says 2:00 PM PST, November 17, 2020 – JOHANNA LI
- Excerpt: Even as some coronavirus patients struggle to get oxygen in their lungs, they don’t always believe they have COVID-19, or that COVID-19 is even real. That’s the shocking trend one South Dakota emergency room nurse is reporting as positive cases surge in her state. “Their last dying words are ‘This can’t be happening, it’s not real,’” registered nurse Jodi Doering told CNN.
The Thanksgiving Bump
Did you have family over this Thanksgiving? The family that does not live with you? Then you too contributed to the reason New York City schools closed. This is the way it is; to think otherwise is to give strength to the virus. In any case, we will find out in a few weeks how bad holiday actions will affect the infection rate.
Vaccine On The Horizon
A vaccine is coming, but what does that mean?. The CDC has decided who will be the first to get the vaccine. Are you in that group? If not, then your wait will be a long one.
In the meantime, people continue to gather recklessly. Parties, weddings, illegal after-hour clubs, raise the infection rate. These actions move us closer to another shutdown. And cause schools to close.
Seriously people, is it worth it? Are a few hours of reckless fun worth another lockdown?
In The Public Eye Opinion: New York City Schools Closed
New York City School Closed, Whose To Blame?
Parents are protesting the closing of schools, but whose fault is it that schools were closed? Not the parents, not the mayor, not even the governor. No, it is the fault of all those that don’t take the virus seriously. People that say stupid, insensitive things like, “It’s my body I do as I please”, or “F**k wearing a mask”. Or worse, have functions with a large number of people in close quarters without masks.
And then there is the biggest insensitive jerk of them all, the ex-president. Who instead of caring about stopping the virus spends his days lying about election fraud that did not happen.
If you are outraged about school closings look to those that believe the virus is a hoax.
Willing to Cash The Check
To those that scoff at what I have written, I offer you a challenge. If you can cash the check for the illness or death, cause, then continue on. To those that know such an individual, I say, watch your back. But if you have what it takes to be a Covid-19 hero, change your ways.
The Governor and Mayor Need to End their Rivalry
The mayor and the governor must stop this game of one-upmanship. The boundaries are clearly defined. In times like these, the mayor can make some decisions, but those decisions must coincide with the governor’s plan.
Ultimately, the governor has the final say. A smart person would take this move because if anything goes wrong, the governor has to explain what happened and why. And Governor Cuomo does not seem to have a problem with that. For the sake of all New Yorkers work together.
New York Not So Tough
I tell friends from other states that New York is not for lightweights. It demands a lot, sometimes too much. But this time, we seem to be falling short. Our children depend on us to make the tough call. And in this case, it’s when not to send them to school. There is only one plan that offers the glimmer of a guarantee against the virus. That is the coming vaccines. But in the meantime, we must face this enemy head-on with resolve. Even is it means
- Say, no parties,
- No seeing the relatives or friends for the holidays
- No mass gatherings
- Wear a mask
- GET TESTED
It is not a weakness to show strength against adversity. The easiest thing to do is rationalize a bad decision.
Sending people away so you can self-quarantine is a lot scarier than you think. It will wake you from your delusion. So will dying. Let one child die because schools were not shutdown soon enough, and all talk of keeping them open ends. So let’s get it right and stop bickering. Our children depend on us to get it right.
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