How Safe Is It to Take the School Bus

SAFELY - EXPERTS SAYTRANSPORTATION ANDHOW SCHOOLS GOABOUT IT - CAN MAKE ABIG DIFFERENCE SOHOW SAFE IS IT FORYOUR CHILDREN TO TAKETHE SCHOOL BUS THISYEAR?

REPORTER RUTAULCINAITE ANSWERSTHAT AND MORE ONTODAY'S EDITION OF THEREBOUND HEARTLAND -SAFELY BACK TOSCHOOL.TRT 2:22 AS SCHOOLDISTRICTS ACROSS THEMETRO PREPARE FORREOPENING - THEY'VEHAD TO THOROUGHLYTHINK OUT EXACTLY HOWTHE SCHOOL BUSSYSTEMS WILL WORK.BUS NATS IF NOTCAREFULLY PLANNEDOUT - BUSES COULD BEDANGEROUS FORTRANSMISSION.DR.JOHN LOWE - ASSISTANTVICE CHANCELLOR FORHEALTH SECURITY, UNMC"WE'RE TALKING ABOUTHAVING PROBABLY 20 ORMORE PEOPLE IN ACONFINED SPACE THAT'SA BUS THAT'S POORLYVENTILATED AND THIS ISA RISK FACTOR FORHIGHER RATES OFTRANSMITION." 05:22 TOREDUCE THAT RISK -SCHOOL DISTRICTS LIKEOMAHA PUBLIC SCHOOLSHAVE PUT IN PLACEINTERVENTIONS LIKEREQUIRING MASKS ANDHAVING ONLY ONCECHILD SIT PER SEAT.TREVIS SALLIS -DIRECTOR OFTRANSPORTATION,OMAHA PUBLIC SCHOOLS'WE'RE ROUTINGBUSINESS AS USUAL, BUTBECAUSE OF THE 3/2MODEL, IT WILL BE LESSSTUDENTS ON THE BUSEACH DAY.BUT WE WILL GO TOEVERY STOP AS WENORMALLY WOULD."11:02:14 HAVING LESSSTUDENTS ON BUSES ISKEY.GRAPHICFULLY LOADED WITHKIDS, MOST SCHOOLBUSES FIT AROUND 77STUDENTS.BUT CRAMMING THISAMOUNT OF PEOPLEINTO A CONFINED SPACEWOULD BE THE PERFECTSCENARIO FOR COVID-19TO SPREAD.SO THE CDC IS ADVISINGTO HAVE ONLY ONESTUDENT PER BENCH,TAKING SOME BUSCAPACITIES TO AS LOWAS 12 STUDENTS PERBUS, MEANING SCHOOLSWOULD HAVE TOINCREASE THE NUMBEROF TRIPS THE BUSESTAKE EACH DAY OR GETMORE BUSES.TIM HAMILTON - CHIEF OFSTUDENT AND FAMILYSERVICES, COUNCILBLUFFS PUBLICSCHOOLS "WE'VE ADDEDA FEW BUSES JUST TOBRING DOWN THENUMBER BUT WITH BEINGIN A HYBRID PHASE, ANDWITH THE NUMBER OFSTUDENTS THAT AREDOING OUR VIRTUALACADEMY WE WILL BE ATFAR, FAR LESS THANHALF CAPACITY." 10:49:39STANDUP "COUCILBLUFFS PUBLICSCHOOLS WILL HAVE ASIMILAR MODEL TO OPS,EXCEPT THEY DON'TSTART UNTIL A FEWWEEKS AFTER OPS ANDCAN SEE WHAT WORKSAND DOESN'T.BUT WHEN STUDENTSGET ON THEY'LL SEE ASIMILAR THING: SPACEDOUT SEATING, SOCIALDISTANCING AND OPENWINDOWS." DR.JOHN LOWE - ASSITANTVICE CHANELOR FORHEALTH SECURITY, UNMC"BY IN LARGE, THE AIRHANDLING SYSTEMS OFBUSES ARE FAIRLYSIMPLE.I WOULD EVEN SAY ON ABUS IT'S EVEN MORECONFINED WITHRESPECT TO THE AIRSYSTEM THAN WEWOULD ON ANAIRPLANE." 06:12 THAT'SWHY BOTH COUNCILBLUFFS AND OMAHAPUBLIC SCHOOLS WILLKEEP WINDOWSCRACKED, GENERATINGFRESH AIR .SO IT SHOULD BE ASSAFE - IF NOT MORESAFE - THAN TRAVELINGON A PLANE.DR.DAVID QUIMVY -INFECTIOUS DISEASES,CHI HEALTH "YOU ALSOARE GENERALLY NOT ONTHE BUS FOR THREEHOURS AND THEREPROBABLY ISN'T THEEXPOSURE TO REACHTHE AMOUNT OF VIRUSYOU NEED TO ACTUALLYINFECT YOURSELF."12:09:25 BUT PARENTSOULD STILL MSYMPTOMS BEFOREGETTING THEM ON THEBUS - TO PROTECTTHEMSELVES AND THOSEAROUND THEM.REPORTING IN OMAHA,RUTA ULCINAITE, 3NN.OMAHA PUBLIC SCHOOLSARE REQUIRING MASKSON BUSES, COUNCILBLUFFS PUBLICSCHOOLS AREEXPECTING EVERYONETO WEAR A MASK ASWELL.O-P-S WILL HOLD ASCHOOL BOARD MEETINGTHIS UPCOMING MONDAYTHE SCHOOL YEAR IS