Thread by @AylingLindsay

I am attending a Zoom meeting for Chapel Hill/Carrboro City Council. Provost Bob Blouin is going to speak about UNC's re-opening plans. I will try to live tweet some updates.

Allen Buansi starts by summarizing a proclamation honoring the anniversaries of the 15th Amendment and Voting Rights Acts. He discusses current attacks on the right to vote. See social media channels for full proclamation.

Mayor Pam Hemminger says only 3% of Chapel Hill residents have filled out the census so far.

Ann Anderson is the going to be the new Town Attorney starting in September.

Council unanimously approves a motion to accept her contract.

Now a presentation by Council staff on COVID 19.

Discussing programs to pass out food and masks.

400 households have applied for housing and utility assistance, 369 have received it.

CH/Carrboro schools going virtual. Towns exploring working w/orgs on providing child care.

Karen Stegman and Maurice Jones clarify that Chapel Hill / Carrboro schools will only be closed for the first 9 weeks, then they will re-assess.

Jess Anderson asks how we're signing people up for childcare, who to prioritize. Maurice Jones says they're not signing people up yet, just working with non-profits and Orange County to explore child care possibilities.

Hemminger says NC moratorium on evictions will be lifted this Friday. Town is trying to raise money for its rental assistance program.

Food waivers end in August. They won't even be able to feed children who qualify for free and reduced lunch. Mayors lobbying Fed reps to extend.

Provost Bob Blouin will now speak about UNC's re-opening plans. Praises faculty who are experts in COVID-19. "UNC has been designated as the nation's leading center for COVID-19 research."

Yet somehow, it still plans to fill dorms to maximum capacity.

Their plan is to make students abide by guidelines. And they have behavior experts to help with this.

Okay, but I've been to campus recently and UNC can't even get its own cops to mask up.

Next part of plan is testing and contact tracing.

But UNC has also said they're *not* mass-testing asymptomatic students because it could create a "false sense of security" (Blouin doesn't mention this).

They are also considering "external factors"

Blouin says document we all had to sign was a pledge to adhere to "and support" the community standards as a condition of enrollment

Embedded in it is a pledge to standards articulated by Orange County govt

Blouin says they'll demand that fraternities and sororities submit a plan for local government approval.

Adds that fraternities and sororities aren't on university property so they "fall under the purview of the town" and Orange County.

"We have given maximum flexibility for faculty and staff to return to campus." Claims those with clinical conditions or with family members to who are at high-risk get "full accommodations."

Expects about 30% of on-campus students to opt out of their lease, which Blouin says will de-densify campus.

Dr. Kurt Ribisl, Gillings School of Public Health gives a presentation. Public Health Education Working Group includes faculty and students.

Focus on masking, physical distancing, handwashing.

They're studying methods that best resonate with students.

Ribisl is happy with numbers of students who say they'll wear makes, and number who self-report masking already.

Ideas include "unboxing" social media videos of Care Kit and "Mask of the Week" campaign featuring students who wear masks.

They are also putting signs on campus telling people to go home if they're sick.

I have to say, this presentation is doing nothing to ease our fears that UNC's only plan is to set students up to fail.

Dr. Allison Lazard is continuing the presentation.

She has previously worked on state-wide campaigns to promote social distancing.

"We have not identified a single group that has escaped the suffering and fear of this pandemic." Goal is to reduce suffering.

In her experience, young adults are the group most likely to comply with mask wearing because they believe it's the "right thing to do."

Sometimes they forget to bring face coverings. Encourage people to put mask in locations like car, purse, backpack.

Bob Blouin opens up for questions from Council

Hemminger says she wants a safe community for everyone. The messaging shouldn't have a distinction btwn guidelines for campus and community members. Hopes 'dialogue' will continue with fraternities.

Buansi asks about status on agreement about sharing and reporting cases. Will it be made publicly available?

Blouin alludes to disagreements over contact tracing. Says they will report to community health depts. if people test positive. Tracing done at county level.

Buansi: how will students living off campus be monitored and cared for?

Blouin: individual basis. They can stay off-campus or "go home to their families." If students can't care for themselves they could possibly be quarantined on campus if they want, but he doesn't expect that.

Q on enforcement. Blouin says student can be un-enrolled for violations. It depends where it takes place.

They didn't ask faculty or staff to sign it because they're employees, but they're still obligated to abide by guidelines.

Jess Anderson thanks UNC for working with the town and being their partners. Maybe many of them wouldn't have chosen to re-open if it had been their choice. [note: there is always a choice]

Q: How do we decide off-ramp? Who makes decision?

Blouin: UNC is a 17-system school. Led by BOG. We've been reluctant to say there will be one thing.

1 Factor is availability of testing. 5-7 day turn-around not adequate. UNC Health Care will have adequate capacity. Another is quarantine space. Maybe another dorm gets set aside.

Blouin adds hospitalization rate is another important barometer, and percentage of ICU patients.

These factors would lead them to "aggressively pursue conversations about the possibility of an offramp."

Q: who's eligible for testing?

Blouin: hides behind bad CDC recommendation not to do asymptomatic testing. Exception is athletics program due to additional risk. Athletes all tested negative when they returned; positive cases only developed after they returned to campus.

Blouin cites "false sense of security" about negative tests.

He adds other areas struggle with across the board testing due to low supplies, which I imagine is the real reason

Anderson: how will you enforce violations?

Blouin: we've talked to Chief Blue about it, because it will also violate state law.

Alright, so blame students and arrest your way out of it. Seems very UNC.

Blouin says he hoped nationally they'd be in a different place by this point.

"We have no legal right to hold students on campus against their will" unless gov issued stay-at-home order or if students legally could not travel across state lines.

Councilmember Anderson, who asked about travel, clarifies that she was not advocating kidnapping.

Yeah, don't know why Blouin's mind went there.

Hongbin Gu says students are students. They're still going to party. If we don't do asymptomatic testing, wouldn't students still be spreading virus around the community?

Blouin: if anyone doesn't wear masks, that's going to be a major problem.

Blouin says they have not had a single patient-to-physician transmission yet and therefore masking provides incredible protection.

Blouin: "we are trying to program our students to think differently"

Gu: but didn't you do the same communication with athletes

Blouin: yes, but "perhaps athletes didn't maintain community standards."

So yep, they're blaming the students.

Gu: it takes time for people to change behavioral patterns. This is extremely infectious. What is UNC's capacity in the event of an outbreak? What triggers re-closing again?

Blouin: quarantine space, isolation space, testing top factors. "it will be connected to rate of change"

Blouin says they're attempting to expand capacity. Right now, 164 beds, but could go up to 300. They're trying to bring on a 3rd dorm after start of semester.

Gu: will you share info with community.

Blouin: we will launch dashboard with info tracking students and staff

Gu asks about racial disparities.

Blouin: In our community, 60% of COVID cases are in Hispanic community, which is a huge disparity.

Blouin says UNC has ordered millions of masks to give out.

Says they've given housekeepers "education programs." Apparently those programs didn't include actually telling housekeepers when athletes in their work areas tested positive.

pulse.ncpolicywatch.org/2020/07/17/unc…

Karen Stegman: we don't have enough contact tracers according to the State

Blouin: I'll bring that up in a meeting tomorrow

Blouin says they have 30 contact tracers in the University. They'll see if they can be of assistance to county.

Stegman: are there any standards of how many parties a group can throw off campus b4 they get kicked out?

Blouin: we have limited authority, but we're engaging them.

Stegman: we've asked people not to call 911 about people wearing masks because it's a burden on police. We're concerned those calls will go way up. Is there someone else they can call?

Blouin: no

Hemminger: call volume to 911 about masks has gone down recently

Tai Huynh: how have you worked with Jackson Center and other orgs to put community input into plans?

Ribisl: We worked with them on communicating signage

Hemminger: Town working with Jackson Center on Good Neighbor Initiative

Huynh: how are you enforcing guidelines? Honor Court?

Blouin: no. Honor Court is "too slow and torturous. We would need quick action." They can hold students responsible in classroom. Faculty must inform students to mask and "consequences would begin" if they refuse.

Blouin: if student test positive, they will be isolated and monitored. They can either go home if they live close by (presumably he means to parents' house) or be isolated on campus.

Michael Parker: community is "extraordinarily concerned." Students are part of community and we are concerned for their safety. The situation was better when we shut down in March. Why do we expect COVID in dormitories to spread less than nursing homes?

Parker: "we have conditions which are primed for massive spread" but we're relying on masks and a complaint-driven system. Says there should be active monitoring in dorms and off-campus student housing.

Blouin: who would monitor?

Parker: on campus, RAs. But there isn't anything similar in community.

Blouin: town has authority off campus for enforcing mask-wearing etc. We couldn't staff UNC personnel to police students across town.

Ribisl: we may want to explore initiatives in neighborhoods that have clusters of students. Might check on them on Thursdays and weekends.

Parker: what commitments on number of tests and turn around?

Blouin: 200+ tests per day (symptomatic or those in contact w/positive test)

Parker: what's your best guess on number of students who will be on campus or in community?

Blouin: only has dorm numbers. Dorm capacity 8500-8700, expecting 30-35% reduction. Expecting 1000-1500 students in remote-only Carolina Away program.

Blouin: we met with campus ethicists (faculty) and they were very helpful as we discussed moral dilemmas. One ethical factor is safety, but they urged us not to forget about academic or economic aspects.

my internet connection keeps cutting out so I'm missing a lot. sorry to anyone who's reading this thread.

Amy Ryan asks about housekeepers. How can the university make continue to pay at-risk people who can't work remotely

Blouin: we continue to pay individuals who are in quarantine or isolation. Also kept paying certain workers who couldn't come in last spring.

Ryan asks about testing capacity. Blouin says they hope to double or triple it. They're not doing batch testing now but have the capability.

Ryan says town testing capacity is inadequate and will be stretched even more when UNC re-opens.

Now there will be public comments. I don't even know what to say any more because I am so depressed and overwhelmed by this entire meeting.

I'll keep names off public comments. 1st person is undergrad who's been working with Jackson Center. Says a lot of off-campus housing is in the Northside, which also includes many older African American community members, who are at high-risk. No system in place to prevent spread

Adjunct in public health recommends not admitting anyone to campus unless they get a negative test. 30%-50% of spreaders may be asymptomatic. Surgeons are requiring such documentation before surgery.

Parents already complaining about children's suitemates planning parties.

Blouin: we are not allowing students to have guests in suites. Students can only take off makes in dorms and while eating in dining halls. Suitemates are broader extension and have to wear masks. RAs will monitor.

Blouin: authoritarian policing will be the last resort

Ribisl: we will count on other students to intervene

Comment from a grad student: it is not possible to re-open safely. It will cause preventable deaths.

There is pressure from the BOG. Others should place pressure on other agencies to reduce financial burden.

Projections are rosy bordering on delusional. Masks are not panaceas.

Next commenter says UNC has created a "repressive plan." The burden is shifted to those with the least amount of power and resources. We are setting students up to fail.

Their work with the Jackson Center is shallow at best. They need to improve these efforts and get real input

I managed to incoherently yell at them about how they don't actually have to go through with plan that they know is going to get people killed.

Then my internet cut out again.

managed to get back on to record some more comments.

Northside residents (who are majority older and Black) are modeling masking and social isolation, but students moving in aren't. This is a racial equity issue. "Normal life for you can cause someone to lose their life."

An undergrad comments further about racial disparities and coronavirus. Earlier they implied athletes are responsible for contracting coronavirus. Many athletes are Black and the university seems to be blaming them.

The Town Council is moving on to their other business. I'm going to wrap this up because I can't take any more of this. It was so depressing to hear them talk in such a calm way about these plans, which are going to get people killed.