A Covid-19 update provided by Fayette County Public Schools for Aug. 29 – Sept. 4 period showed three new student cases of the virus and three new staff cases.
Updated on Sept. 4, the number of students attending in-school classes totaled 13,614, down from 13,703 on Aug. 28.
The report noted three new student cases of Covid-19, along with three new staff cases.
As of Sept. 4, there were 35 students remaining in isolation or quarantine, down from 102 the prior week, and there were four staff remaining in isolation or quarantined, down from 25 on Aug. 28, the school system said.
Fayette County’s public schools employ 2,989 staff.
Asked why the school system is only providing the number of total positive cases and quarantines within the school system and not by school, officials said the number of positive Covid-19 cases are so low that infected individuals could be easily identified, putting the school system in violation of HIPPA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) and FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) laws. Parents will be notified if there is a case at their child’s school.
That’s good news. Now let’s get back to full-time brick and mortar for those who opted in. Most students and teachers are ready! For those still in fear mode, looks at the data. It is safe for all but possibly the most vulnerable. Chances of dying from C-19: 1 in 19 million.
The reason the cases are low is because of the hybrid model and the precautions. We can’t stay locked down forever, but we can’t we can’t ignore the fact that we’re in the middle of a pandemic either. There’s a balance to be struck between the two and in my opinion going to full time in school is to far, for example all the colleges that had plans but didn’t take into account that college students can be morons. I have yet to see a plan for reopening schools that is foolproof, in the sense that kids are fools. That’s not how probability works, the death rate is around .5% or 1 in 200 chance of dying once you get it, and guess what happens when we try to open to quickly. More people get infected, increasing you chance of getting it and potentially dying. The most vulnerable can’t stay completely cut off from the world either, by arguing that we should open up and the vulnerable should stay in, you are arguing that your right to travel and buy things is more important than their right to life.