Students wear masks and sit in the CPS classroom at a social distance. (WTTW News)
The new CEO of Chicago Public Schools said Thursday that the district would offer more COVID-19 tests and the family would work hard to stay in the case information loop amid turmoil and criticism throughout the first month of the school year. Told.
On the second day as CEO, Pedro Martinez and the school district announced that CPS has hired an additional 30 contact tracers. Online COVID-19 Information Dashboard Starting Friday, we will provide screening tests to all CPS school students and staff to show positive cases within 24 hours.
This arises after general concerns about district safety strategies, case data, and contact tracing capabilities. The latter is Death of CPS’s mother, Chenisa “Angel” Curry According to the family, the child was infected with COVID-19 at school.
The 47-year-old Curry has reportedly never heard of a contact tracer who was tasked with stopping the spread of COVID-19. Earlier this month Mayor Lori Lightfoot told WTTW News that he was “disappointed.” With school district tests and trace rollouts.
“I know things have happened in the past,” Martinez said in a press conference with Dr. Alison Arwadi, Commissioner of the Chicago Public Health Service. “I’m here now, I own this now, and we’re going to make this better again.”
Screening tests, initially expected to be available in all schools a few weeks ago, are voluntary for students and staff, and potential spread among people whose CDPH does not show symptoms of COVID-19. Allows you to track.
According to the updated dashboard, 14,761 screening tests have already been conducted, 17 of which have returned positive. According to Arwady, last month, 1,101 cases were confirmed in school for students and 342 cases for adults, or about 5 out of 1,000.
“That’s not an unexpected number,” Arwady said. “This is in good agreement with what we see in other school districts, and despite quite a few tests, it’s not very much in line with what we see in the proportion of the community. , Nothing I see in these numbers has anything to do with me. “
As of Thursday, 6,322 CPS students and 281 adults are currently in quarantine.
Chicago Teachers Union officials have repeatedly condemned the district’s existing mitigation plans as both sides continue to work towards a safety agreement. Those same officials said little progress had been made recently towards reaching that agreement.
“It’s hurting our district not only because the district’s plans are confused, but also because the lack of clarity causes confusion and undermines self-confidence,” said CTU President Jesse Sharkey on Wednesday. I told the news.
Martinez addresses some of these clarity and transparency concerns by attending Arwady at weekly press briefings to keep the public up to date on the status of COVID-19 within CPS schools. intend to do something.
At a press conference on Thursday, he said he would consider expanding distance learning options for students as the school district is working to strengthen its existing COVID-19 safety protocol after a month of face-to-face learning.
Martinez did not promise that CPS would actually start offering remote options to more students, but said it would investigate the district’s ability to extend existing programs.
Currently, registration to the CPS Virtual Academy is Limited to “medically vulnerable” students With documented health needs.
Martinez has revealed his belief that face-to-face learning is a better educational option, but despite existing protocols, family members who are worried about sending unvaccinated students to school buildings ” I want to reduce my anxiety. “
“If we can accept our family, I want to do that,” Martinez said. “Especially because we are all waiting for the vaccines aged 5 to 11 to arrive.”
Contact Matt Masterson: @ByMattMasterson | [email protected] | (773) 509-5431
The new CPSCEO pledges to “make this better” in response to criticism of the COVID-19 safety program.Chicago news
Source link The new CPSCEO pledges to “make this better” in response to criticism of the COVID-19 safety program.Chicago news
The post The new CPSCEO pledges to “make this better” in response to criticism of the COVID-19 safety program.Chicago news appeared first on Illinois News Today.
No comments:
Post a Comment