Thread by @shayshinecastle

COVID briefing leading. Jeff Zayach from BoCo Public Health here. His presentation: www-static.bouldercolorado.gov/docs/Item_1A_C…

1,969 cases
74 deaths (57 from long-term care facilities)

Boulder lower than other metros, on average, when it comes to cases, but we're trending up. Other places are trending down, Zayach says.

"Our cases are continuing to trend upward." Avg. of 20 new cases per day, spread associated with person-to-person transmission. But we're also starting to see spread from travel, Zayach says.

On a positive note (no pun intended) our % of positive tests is still low, 4%. That means we're doing enough tests to catch cases quick, according to Zayach.

He sounds stressed tonight.

(I mean, yeah, we're in a pandemic so... makes sense)

Everyone in BoCo who has died of COVID (so far) has been 50+ and the likelihood of death, of course, increases with age.

RE: transmission from travel, Zayach says we're seeing more as we've moved from Stay at Home to Safer at Home / Protect Your Neighbors (Our Neighbors? Neighbor?)

Spread is also increasing in local Latinx community. BoCo hiring a couple folks to work on this.

"We're still seeing equity issues," Zayach says.

BoCo hospitalizations are going up, Zayach says, but they're still doing OK with capacity.

Zayach: Governor's orders are having a positive impact on hospitalizations statewide.

Colorado's new cases are decreasing, as are other states.

Nationally, "we're starting to dip (toward) a downward trend," Zayach says.

Mask use compliance rates are above 95% in all BoCo communities, according to Zayach. (Boulder's is 99%)

"I can't express" how much gratitude I have for these numbers, Zayach says.

"It really does come down to our individual behavior," he says. "So thanks to all of you who are taking personal responsibility."

These compliance rates are based on designated "observation locations," of which there are 9 in Boulder. 584 ppl were observed for that 99% compliance rate. (Parks are not included in this; not sure about open space)

Louisville and Superior both have slightly higher compliance rates and social distancing scores, btw.

Boulder's social distancing score is 3.9 (on 1-5 scale, 1 being bad and 5 being the best)

Actually, everyone beats Boulder on social distancing except Longmont and Nederland. (Well, Lafayette is equal)

Sorry I missed some council qs in there but I think Wallach asked about criteria for returning to more stringent measures.

"If we start to get above 5%" positive tests, "we might recommend additional strategies," Zayach says.

Zayach: This is mostly a statewide conversation. There are 10-12 indicators being considered. "They're not finalized yet, and they're under discussion." Maybe in a couple weeks.

Swetlik: What is BoCo going to do "in anticipation of adding thousands and thousands more students to the community," especially given that this age group is where the most transmission is occurring. (When CU reopens, obviously)

Zayach: "It is not NOT a concern. It is a concern of ours."

He may have said "definitely" a concern of ours.

But he's talking about CU's plans and working with landlords to crack down on parties, etc. The ability to enforce health orders is important, Zayach says.

"It's been a positive relationship" with the university, Zayach says. "We are going to watch closely what's happening. I'm concerned probably just like many of you are that we do make sure we have control."

County needs to "be able to respond quickly," Zayach says. "CU is ready to respond with the ability to test students as well if there is (sic) issues that are occurring."

Yates asks about increased testing.
Zayach: "We can completely meet our testing requirements." Target of 500 tests/day — all symptomatic ppl and all their contacts.

"We absolutely have the ability to do that in BoCo."

"That being said...." still working with governor's office to "make testing free and easier for the public to access."

It's been challenging, particularly for Latinx population.

Rob Anderson, BVSD superintendent, is up now. I don't have his presentation. But Amy Bounds at the Camera tweeted earlier today that the district will be fully remote, at least this fall.

That was from the board meeting this afternoon.

#backtogetherBVSD

Anderson: "This is as complicated of a problem that I think public education has ever faced."

BVSD has a five-phase reintroduction plan.
Phase 1: Remote learning
Phase 5: Back to normal, after the pandemic

"The shelf life of recommendations has become really, really short," Anderson says. 2 weeks ago, the plan was a blend of in-person and remote. "We felt like 2 weeks ago we'd be able to logistically pull that off. But that was two weeks ago."

The district looked at health data, student opt-out data and employee exemption data (more info to come, I assume)

"We wanted to provide options to our community," Anderson says, but parents struggled to decide which option to make.

Hybrid plan called for 50% in-person.

"We felt like a lot of parents still weren't comfortable making the decision," Anderson says.

"The last piece of data which we weren't anticipating ... was the number of employees who qualified for exemption."

30% of teachers qualified as high-risk and therefore didn't have to come teach in-person.

That's 57 "puzzles to try to solve." (# of schools in BVSD)

At some schools, all but 1-2 teachers were exempt, Anderson says.

"We did everything we could to make that work," he says, but the exemptions rendered the hybrid plan (Phase 3) not logistically possible.

"We're going back to the drawing board," Anderson says. Remote learning for at least the first month.

Going over "improved home learning."
Education isn't really my thing so.... Ya'll can see Bounds at the Camera for that.

"I feel as a school district that if we're going into home learning, we have an obligation" to provide childcare, Anderson says.

BVSD has been doing this for awhile.

Pre-pandemic, that is. But providing childcare for essential workers since March. 0 outbreaks.

It's cheaper than market-rate childcare but, wow, $40-$89/day? Holy cow kids are expensive.

Also, BVSD is hiring child care staff, if you need a job and don't mind kids.

I would rather taste test dog food myself, but to each their own.

"We are hoping to bring back in-person learning opportunities as soon as we can," Anderson says.

Anderson addressing "learning pods," which "we embrace."

BVSD might "integrate" with them and provide pods themselves for "students who might not be fortunate enough" to be included in ones "forming organically."

Brockett: I appreciate how you all are being flexible and data-driven.

His own H.S. kids gave "groans of disappointment" to the reality of remote learning.

How is your plan going to change when you have high-risk teachers and concerned parents? How will that evolve and get better? Brockett asks.

Anderson: I think that piece stays the same.

Anderson: Maybe we prioritize some students. Maybe K-3 get brought back first, at 50% or more.

"We do have to get kids in person to whatever extent is safe. We can't stay online."

This is changing on a weekly basis, not just here, Anderson says.

Anderson: For every 100 students that show up or don't to our district, that's $1M in funding.

BVSD planned on decrease of 200 students this year. But that number could grow or shrink.

More on pods: We're going to watch those and see how they evolve, Anderson says. Transportation will be an issue when it comes to standing those up for vulnerable students, but there's opportunity there.

That was in response to Young qs.

Friend: What's the mental health support being offered? This is hard on kids.

Anderson: "I've got deep concern over those families that will begin to suffer from situational poverty. ... It's one thing to have been poor and adjust to that; it's another to go from not being poor to being poor."

His answer was: Teachers will note issues and follow up with mental health professionals (I think)

Child abuse specifically: "It's a huge worry. When we see kids, we can see their body language ...." that observation isn't possible. It's one of the things we considered in trying for in-person learning.

Anderson: "It's disappointing, certainly" to not be back in-person right away, but our goal is to get "as many in-person days as possible" this year.

The pandemic is going to last and we may move in and out of remote/in-person learning throughout the next year or two, Anderson says.

"The idea that we're going to go 5 days in person" while the pandemic is happening, Anderson says.... Not sure that's going to happen.

That's a wrap on this. @threadreaderapp please unroll. Thank you!