Mailbag: How will schools reopen in the midst of the pandemic?

One would think that with the increase in coronavirus cases and no end in sight yet for the nightmare we are going through that everyone would do everything possible to help end the pandemic. The article, “Many in county resist masks even as coronavirus cases soar” was illuminating, educational and sad. The sad part is primarily due to those who for whatever reasons will simply not wear a mask in public. Per the article, “wearing of face masks in public corresponds to the most effective means to prevent interhuman transmission.” In trying to figure out why some people don’t conform to the science standards that have already proven that wearing masks actually helps stop the spread of the virus, I’ve come up with the following reasons why a mask is not in their apparel vocabulary.

• Some people just hate being told what to do even if it means possibly saving their life or someone else’s life.
• They are under the impression that the virus will not catch up to them.
• Despite the number of people who have already contracted the disease and died, they are under the impression that the whole thing is a big hoax.

As far as enforcing the rule that when in public masks are mandatory, it should be a no-brainer. Let’s look at the facts:

• The virus is real and is getting worse.
• The primary source of spreading the virus is from person to person.
• Wearing a mask has already been proven to reduce the spread.

With the above data, it’s pretty conclusive that intentionally not wearing a mask in public has the remote possibility that a misplaced germ can cause the death of another person. So it seems we have opportunities here to save lives by simply putting on a mask when in public. Is that really too much to ask for?

Bill Spitalnick
Newport Beach

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Last Sunday morning, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos was interviewed for 20 minutes on CNN. Her mantra was “schools must reopen.”

DeVos’s answers to questions were so limited, Rep. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts tweeted: “@BetsyDeVosED you have no plan. Teachers, kids and parents are fearing for their lives. I wouldn’t trust you to care for a houseplant let alone my child.”

Closer to home, I know parents, teachers and students are anxious to learn about Newport-Mesa’s blueprint for reopening its schools this fall. With this in mind, I urge the district’s school board members to consider these questions before finalizing any plan to welcoming students back into their classrooms. For example:

• As a parent, should I let my child ride the bus to school? Virtually everyone knows the bus is a petri dish for kids passing cold and flu germs. How will each bus be safe from COVID-19?

• If teachers test positive for COVID-19, will they be quarantined for two weeks? If so, will their sick leave be covered (i.e., be paid) and will they still be required to teach from home?

• If a middle or high school teacher, who typically has five classes a day with 30 students in each class, contracts the virus, what happens to the 150 students? Will they be allowed to pass each other in hallways and/or how quickly can they be tested?

• If 150 students are exposed to the virus, what happens if they expose their siblings or parents? How long will it take for them to be tested?

• What if an infected teacher’s spouse or children test positive for the virus? Who will pay for their tests?

• If need be, how and where will the district find substitute teachers willing to work in classrooms full of exposed, possibly infected, students?

• Substitutes teach in multiple schools. What if they are diagnosed with COVID-19? Do the students in all the other schools need to be tested? How long will it take for them to get their results?

• How many teachers in the Newport-Mesa school district are over 45? According to the CDC, more than 15% of the total number of COVID deaths in the U.S. are people between the ages of 45 to 65.

Mine is but a very short list of questions the school board needs to answer before schools can safely reopen this fall. I wonder how many other questions need to be answered?

Denny Freidenrich
Laguna Beach

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The bad news out of last night’s Orange County Board of Education decision is that once again Orange County is flying solo in a world where science, history and human compassion give way to illogical and political decisions. Other more enlightened boards in surrounding counties voted to prolong the opening of their schools until the coronavirus is no longer a threat. But not the Orange County Board of Education. They like the limelight of rebellion.

What makes it even more remarkable as a decision is that it was made on the same day that the governor announced a new lockdown in the County because of a second deadly surge. These board members live in their own little world where their research and decision-making processes trump reality and substance.

I cannot believe that parents want to send their children off to a school that does not require masks or social distancing.

Yes, children often do not get severe cases of the coronavirus, but there is not even enough known about this disease to say that with certainty. There is even the possibility of long-term effects of the virus. I definitely would not want my child to be a guinea pig. How about the virus that they might transmit to their parents and grandparents when they get home? Do people have such dysfunctional homes that they feel like their child is safer at school being exposed to virus germs? Is it a case of boredom and too much responsibility for parents trying to keep their children busy?

And then there is the issue of the vulnerability of the teacher, which I have not heard mentioned in many discussions or arguments. Who among them wants to be part of this social and medical experiment? I was a teacher for 30-plus years, and if this decision had been made by my district, I assure you that the majority of us would not have shown up.

And if this decision is not overturned, I have a strong feeling that many teachers will not show up for class.

The good news regarding this terrible decision is that the board only acts in an advisory capacity to the districts in the county, so they can choose to remain closed if their local school board so decides. I hope that the local boards are more rational decision makers and that they make science-based decisions rather than political ones to protect not only the students and teachers but themselves as well.

Lynn Lorenz
Newport Beach

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The Orange County Department of Education made a decision to have all schools open without a mask requirement. That is sheer lunacy. Every health expert agrees that wearing a mask is the one thing that can control and prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

If and when schools reopen in Orange County, masks should be a requirement for teachers, staff and students, as well as social distancing and sanitizing stations. This not only protects everyone in the schools but also the community at large. Many families have members with compromised immune systems which make them more vulnerable to the coronavirus. The school districts cannot guarantee a safe environment for everyone without implementing guidelines such as the ones mentioned above, along with other recommendations, such as testing and contact tracing, and even possibly giving plasma shots to teachers which may provide them with short-term immunity until a vaccine is available.

This is not hard, people, requiring a mask in schools just as in any public place simply makes sense. Mask up, everyone.

Peggy Engard
Costa Mesa

As a resident of Orange County since 1972, I’ve observed the county’s movement from a backwater, John Birch-oriented far-right conspiracy-theory breeding ground to a reasonable, moderate, educated county of responsible citizens. The results of the 2018 local elections perhaps signaled that Orange County finally joined rational society and rejected its history of flat-earth, rejectionist philosophies.

The coronavirus pandemic has unfortunately shown that I’m wrong. The O.C. Board of Education decreed on Monday that schools in our county should open without regard to scientific fact by declaring that there is no need to observe any of the intelligent recommendations to keep our children and their families safe, including the nominal safeguards of physical distancing and face coverings. The report on which the board based its decision was the polar opposite of factual inquiry and scientific method, important skill sets which educators teach our children. I would think that the school board — whose members presumably see themselves as role models for our kids — should practice what it teaches.

Let’s hope and pray that our county is not returning to its deplorable history of rejecting societal norms and falling back on its unacceptable culture of opposition to science and reason. While both Los Angeles and San Diego counties have voted to consider the safety of their children and families, the O.C. school board is unfortunately echoing President Trump and his administration’s shameful disregard for our nation’s health and safety.

The politicization of “free choice” is simply inappropriate during times of crisis. Those of us old enough may recall the 1960s when a similar outcry by those embracing the “don’t tread on me” credo opposed seat belts in cars and motorcycle helmets as an “infringement on liberty.“ How many millions of lives have been saved since 1965? No, we’re not “snowflakes.” We are simply members of the community of human beings.

Orange County, please don’t abandon the trend represented by the 2018 election. Reject the backward and unhelpful political posturing of the Board of Education and the Board of Supervisors.

Michael Schneider
Laguna Beach

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An F is indeed the grade that the Orange County Board of Education has earned in its nonbinding vote “to advise schools to reopen.” Not only does this grade represent the board’s Failure to accurately assess the scientific data available on how the coronavirus may spread — from asymptomatic youngsters to older adults with whom they may be in contact.

The F also could stand for Flawed reasoning in selecting to adhere to a highly questionable “white paper” developed by a so-called panel of experts (which met as a group only once); it could also represent the Faulty political allegiances in what is supposedly a nonpartisan governing board; and it might suggest a Fear of retribution from a contingent of O.C. reactionaries who have gained the majority of the Board of Education‘s allegiance.

An F has been earned by the O.C. Board of Education in several areas of its responsibility. What might the Fallout be?

Ben Miles
Huntington Beach

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Local elections are coming up

While national elections have been raging, we will finally be able to focus on local elections after this week. The deadline for “pulling papers” to run for City Council in Huntington Beach is upon us and candidates will have until the first week of August to actually file.

So far, about a dozen candidates are looking at running for office. These include both incumbents (Lyn Semeta and Patrick Brenden), two “retreads” (Bllly O’Connell and Matt Harper), three previous candidates (Dan Kalmick, Brian Burley, Amory Hanson), and a few fresh faces (e.g. Natalie Moser, Oscar Rodriguez). There are three Council seats up for grabs this election with one vacancy (Jill Hardy being termed out). There may be sharp contrasts between pro-business candidates wanting to jump-start the local economy and pro-community ones demanding safe schools, a safe environment and better social services. The coronavirus pandemic overhangs all issues.

Voters must dig deep this year to evaluate the candidates in terms of leadership qualifications, decision-making abilities, past experience and a vision for the future. This should happen in all cities.

Tim Geddes
Huntington Beach

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