Thread by @APDillon_

The State Board of Ed is meeting right now.
Coming up soon, NC Department of Health and Human Services Deputy Secretary Susan Gale-Perry & Dr. Betsy Tilson have an update.

Listen/watch:
Agenda: simbli.eboardsolutions.com/SB_Meetings/Vi…
#ncpol #nced

NCDHHS presentation lists toolkit changes and updates on the COVID testing pilot in schools.
FWIW, I've been trying to get an update on that pilot since January but no response from DHHS.

simbli.eboardsolutions.com/Meetings/Attac…

Presentation agenda

"Good news overall," says Susan Gale Perry about the trends. Says rates are returning to lower numbers, vaccines are going out.
Goes over clusters, which are down, says private school clusters are up versus public schools. Doesn't mention most private schools are fully open.

The CDC operational strategy was released Feb. 12.
This was worked into the toolkit update last night.
See this thread:

https://twitter.com/APDillon_/status/1367260290014978053

Gale Perry says it emphasizes in-person attendance, especially for younger students using "strict mitigation" strategies.
Slide talks about the six-feet social distancing based on 'critical metrics'

At orange and red levels, middle & high schools would be required to use 6 ft distancing; Gale Perry says that would include 99 of NC's 100 counties right now.

Q to ask: Is this part of why Cooper/Cohen created the color-coded spread chart?

Dr. Mallick (Director, COVID-19 Operations Center) will present on the COVID testing pilot.
She is going to review what Antigen tests are; they detect current infections. They are fast and inexpensive.
PCR tests can detect virus in smaller amts; more sensitive.

Slide on types of tests

Mallick goes over Diagnostic vs Screening testing.
Slide:

The COVID testing pilot in schools uses Antigen tests.
I covered the pilot last year:
nsjonline.com/article/2020/1…

One of the data points on the COVID testing pilot:

"From Dec 2020 to Feb 2021, 53,000 free tests were sent to 17 schools districts and 11 charter schools to conduct testing at over 200 schools"

Mallick: We will be expanding access to COVID-19 testing on an opt-in basis to add a layer of protection...

Two "implications" for reopening schools :
"Testing of all individuals, including students, their families and school staff, who are symptomatic or had known exposure to a confirmed positive case"
"Once weekly screening of all adults – including teachers and staff"

Mallick goes over requirements for schools to participate.

Mallick: Online test form and guidance will launch today, March 4.
LEA's can request tests via that form as soon as they demonstrate they fulfill requirements.

Tilson takes over to cover "COVID Vaccine Distribution – Updates and Resources."
1.7M NC citizens have gotten a shot.

Tilson: Layered prevention strategy is crucial, talks about the "prevention lasagne," which has been mentioned several times.

Tilson says that they are seeing great results in our nursing homes.
(The outbreak reports are a long list a year later though.)

Stats on K-12 educators who have gotten a vaccine so far.
Tilson says she thinks the number is 'underreported'.

Tilson talking about the new Johnson & Johnson 1 dose vax.

DHHS has revamped its Vaccination communications and PR kit.
Here is that link at the bottom:
urldefense.com/v3/__https:/co…

Tilson stresses that none of the vaccines have live virus in them. Says you cannot get COVID-19 from the vaccine.

Tilson & her slide note the J&J vaccine is "Extremely effective in preventing hospitalization and death."
• No significant safety concerns. No reports of anaphylaxis
• Similar temporary reactions after vaccination to Pfizer and Moderna

Chief Deputy Secretary Susan Gale Perry talking about StrongSchools toolkit update.

First update on the slide is bolded:
"Schools should only use remote learning options for higher-risk students and for families opting for remote learning for their children."

Perry: All schools should be in in-person instruction at this time.
K-5 are in Plan A - in school all day, 5 days a week
6-12 - Should be in-person "as much as possible."

Perry says the Plan B students have to 6 ft social distance.

For parents, that translates to continued cohort rotations.

The change to the toolkit is really not substantive. This is not going to get 6-12 back full time.

It's worth noting some larger districts have kept 4th & 5th graders on cohort rotations too.

Chair Davis says 'we need to get kids back in school all day every day'. Says they will look for further updates.

(In other words, there will be no planning/action by the board today to reopen schools fully.)

There's a question about why the testing pilot is being extended if teachers/staff are being vaccinated.

Supt. Truitt is asking what the plan is to get older kids back in school full time.
"We need to be very careful we are not suggesting that Plan B is adequate. It is not. "

Truitt: For high schoolers, that means in class 20% of the time.
What metrics need to be in place for those students to go with 3 ft social distancing instead of six?

DHHS (I think it's Gale Perry answering hard to tell from Zoom) dodges, repeats that state guidance matches CDC guidance on transmission levels/case rates. Says metrics moving in the right direction.

Does not say what the metric goal is which Truitt asked for.

Truitt is not letting it go - What metric/ what is DHHS looking for to change to the toolkit's social distancing?

Responses is they look at a 'wide number' of metrics, cases per 100k, Hospital rates, hospital capacity, case rates,

"There is not one single number"

Truitt: DHHS needs to make public the metrics that will determine changes.
We need more clarity.
It feels like we're kicking the can down the street.
It's an exercise in frustration for local supts.

Truitt calls out the DHHS guidance update as not really changing anything.
"It's time for you to put a stake in the ground and say this is what needs to happen for kids to be back in school."
#nced

Q about % of teacher vax & discussion.

Treasurer Folwell: You can't manage what you can't measure. The notion we don't know who or who hasn't been vaccinated, it sets up ambiguity so that these decisions become driven by emotion not fact.

Member Olivia Oxendine: Are school districts not keeping count themselves for their own benefit?
Questions that districts aren't keeping track of teacher/staff vaccinations

Chair Davis says that no one has told districts to keep track of staff/teacher vaccinations.

Wow.

DHHS' Tilson "the granularity of understanding who is a teacher, or a school staff or a daycare teacher is" not in their data collection. They only get 'group' info.

Tilson says privacy is a factor why there is no granular info like that.

Treasurer Folwell talks about unintended consequences of the school plans & financial impact on parents.

'I support the Supt when she says we need a definitive road map of how this is going to work. It is not just impacting kids, it's impacting parents.'

A board member (Amy White?) is asking about mortality rates. She notes the DHHS COVID site doesn't have them available.

I pointed out last year and mult. time, since that @ncdhhs stealth dropped the death by age data. They haven't turned over data requested by email either.

DHHS redirects board to school cluster data instead of answering the death by age data questioned raised.

Truitt reads info from a Supt on infections, which is extremely low, yet half of their students are sitting at home.
1 in 900 out with a pos. test. A .1% rate and students had a .05% rate.

Perry: I hear the frustration, we are sharing the goal to get kids back in school

Davis repeats he wants to see all students moved into Plan A. Says they will have a called meeting if that can be done.
Pushes the agenda forward, Truitt is now giving her scheduled update.

Voting to approve the DHHS toolkit updates won't happen until the end of the meeting, sometime after 2:40pm.
I'll try to pick it up there later.

Again - Agenda
simbli.eboardsolutions.com/SB_Meetings/Vi…

Watch/listen: