Southwest District Health releases data on COVID within schools

COVID-19.THE BOISE SCHOOLDISTRICT CONFIRMS23 CASES SINCETHEIR ONLINELEARNING BEGAN INAUGUST.AND ACCORFING TOSOUTHWESTDISTRICT HEALTH..200 STUDENTS ANDSTAFF IN OWYHEECOUNTY ARECURRENTLY INQUARANTINE.THE GOOD NEWS.NO ONE IN IDAHOUNDER THE AGE OF30 HAS DIED FROMCOVID.

THE BADNEWS.

MANYPEOPLE WITHIN ASCHOOL SYSTEM ARESTILL CONSIDEREDHIGH RISK.

ANDTEACHERS ARE LEFTTO FIGURE OUT HOWTO ADJUST THEIRPLANS.TONIGHT --EDUCATIONREPORTER JESSICATAYLOR TAKES ACLOSER LOOK AT THEDATA AND HOWTEACHERS AREHANDLING THESCHOOL YEAR.PKG:TEACHERS HAVE YETANOTHER THING TOADD TO THEIRWORKLOAD:TEACHING STUDENTSIN QUARANTINE."IN THE PAST WHENSTUDENTS ARE SICKFOR A DAY OR TWOIT'S MUCH EASIER TOCATCH THEM UP, BUTWHEN STUDENTSARE BEINGQUARANTINED FORTWO WEEKS, THAT SBIG LEARNING GAP"ALREADY TEACHERSSTRUGGLE WITHBALANCING THEWORKLOAD OF INPERSON ANDREMOTE LEARNING.SOME, WORKINGHOURS PAST THEEND OF THE SCHOOLDAY TO ANSWERQUESTIONS, GIVEFEEDBACK, ANDCATCH KIDS UP."THEY'RE WORKINGINCREDIBLE HOURSTRYING TO MAKESURE THEY'RESERVICINGSTUDENTS TO THEBEST OF THEIRABILITY.STUDENTS AREN'TIMMUNE TO THECORONAVIRUS.SOUTHWESTDISTRICT HEALTH'SDATA SHOWS INCANYON COUNTY.11 STUDENTS ANDSTAFF ARE INISOLATION AND 107ARE QUARANTINING.IN OWYHEECOUNTY.

200STUDENTS ANDSTAFF AREQUARANTINING.EARLIER THISWEEK.

DOCTORDAVID PETERMANSHARED THERE'SBEEN A NUMBER OFCASES ACROSSSCHOOLS.

BUTTHEY'RE MAINLYBELIEVED TOORIGINATE OUTSIDEOF THE CLASSROOM."THAT IS THEPOSITIVES HAVEMORE TO DO WITHWHAT WE BELIEVE ISTHE COMMUNITYSPREADIDAHOANS OF EVERYAGE HAVE TESTEDPOSITIVE FOR COVIDSINCE THEBEGINNING OF THEPANDEMIC.HOWEVER, IT ISIMPORTANT TO NOTETHAT 0 PEOPLE HAVEDIED BETWEEN THEAGES FIVE AND 29..BUT OTHER PEOPLEWITHIN A SCHOOLSYSTEM ARE ABOVETHAT AGE RANGEAND AT HIGHER RISK.AND THE POSSIBLELIFELONG EFFECTSOF THE DISEASE ARESTILL NOT KNOWN."WE HAVE A HIGHLYCONTAGIOUS VIRUSTHAT'S GOING TOSPREADTHROUGHOUT ASCHOOL VERYQUICKLY IF WE'RENOT CAUTIOUS"MCINELLY SAYS ASLOW REOPEN WILLLEAD TO THEULTIMATE GOAL,SAFELY."WE'VE GOT TO DOTHIS VERYCAREFULLY BUT NOONE WANTS THE KIDSIN THE CLASSROOMMORE THAN THEIRTEACHER"STAN OUTGIVEN THESENUMBERS.

HOWARE SCHOOLSADAPTING?IN CANYONCOUNTY.... NAMPAAND CALDWELL ARECONTINUING IN THEHYBRID MODEL.IN OWYHEECOUNTY... MARSINGSCHOOL DISTRICT ISHAVING REMOTELEARNING FOR THIRDTHROUGH FIFTHGRADE THROUGHTHE END OFSEPTEMBER.