KHTS Radio Santa Clarita Radio – Santa Clarita News
Schools must remain closed until Los Angeles County is off the “watch list,” based on COVID-19 benchmarks, for at least two weeks, Governor Gavin Newsom announced Friday.
Los Angeles County is one of 32 counties currently on the COVID-19 watchlist as of Friday, as cases and hospitalizations continue to rise, according to the L.A. County Department of Public Health.
After the county is off the “watch list” for two weeks, local public health officials are able to make the decision to allow in-person learning.
L.A. County reached an all-time high of one-day coronavirus cases Thursday, with 4,592 cases reported, according to the Department of Public Health.
Counties are on the monitoring list because they have not achieved more than 150 tests per day per 100,000 people, or have more than 100 cases per 1,000 residents, or have case positivity rates greater than 8 percent, or have a 10 percent or more increase in hospitalizations over the past three days, or less than 20 percent of ICU beds are open, or less than 25 percent of ventilators are available, according to public health officials.
“While it is disheartening and unfortunate that Los Angeles County students can’t plan for a normal first day back at school, we respect the Governor’s decision to insist that counties reduce the rate of community transmission before schools re-open for in-person classroom learning,” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, the director of the L.A. County Department of Public Health. “
Newsom is requiring schools to put in place “rigorous” distance learning requirements, with daily interaction between teachers and students.
Adapted lessons for English learners and students with special needs are required, the governor said.
The rules include a mandate that students above 2nd grade and all staff wear masks in school, according to Newsom.
On Tuesday, the William S. Hart Union School District voted to implement distance learning for the first five weeks of the fall semester, with the district working toward a “blended” model.
“This is an enormous undertaking, we are reinventing school for the ground up,” Hart District Superintendent Mike Kuhlman said. “This time would allow us to improve online infrastructure and prepare a successful launch of the blended model.”
It is unclear if L.A. County will be off the state “watch list” for two weeks by that goal date.
See Related: Hart District Votes To Begin Fall Semester Online, Work Towards ‘Blended’ System
The Castaic Union School District voted Thursday to have distance earning the entire fall semester.
“The safety of our students, staff and community is paramount and if it’s not safe to do so, the CUSD governing board, in consensus with neighboring school districts of the Santa Clarita Valley, believes that schools shouldn’t reopen in a way that would put students or staff in harm’s way,” the agenda for Thursday’s emergency meeting reads.
Other elementary school districts in the Santa Clarita Valley have not had a formal vote on their reopening plans as of Friday.
The California Department of Public Health has a watch list of counties that are being monitored for worsening coronavirus trends.
Los Angeles County is experiencing the possibility of elevated disease transmission, according to the state public health department.
Drivers of this include having a high case rate that is highly related to high testing capacity and volume countywide, which also includes testing all residents and staff at over 235 skilled nursing facilities (SNF), according to the state.
Key actions to monitor the situation include monitoring the positivity rate among those tested to ensure that there isn’t a significant increase that may signal more community transmission, according to state public health officials
On Monday, Newsom ordered the reclosure of indoor operations of gyms, hair salons, places of worship, malls and other businesses in an attempt to curb the spread of COVID-19.
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Well, two weeks is a START! Needs to be longer than that! This thing is just getting WORSE!
Thank you!! Wish it were longer but we’ll see were that takes us.
What is the process to monitor schools and full testing will
Occur?
Do you truly believe they have a process? The kids have been doing distance since the start of the virus. They have had months to prepare. We all know the virus isn’t “going away”.
Then individuals like Catherine Kawaguchi hold PTA member meetings, but do not allow comments.
Then they send us a PTA renewal notice.
You’ll be waiting for that check.
Public isn’t the only option. Our kids can have successful education. Research options. Since the teachers union decided defunding police and removal of charter schools are required, it’s clear the teachers union has zero concern for Covid safety. It’s time to unenroll in public. They are not FOR our children and their education. It’s clear from their demands before they resume in school teaching.
We are seriously thinking of moving out of California. We both work remotely now so jobs aren’t keeping us here. And with the experience of last year with remote pre school not going over will we doubt kindergarten will be much better. From what I read kids don’t get sick with it and they aren’t infectious when they have it. Maybe we should listen to the scientists.
I feel the same way our state politicians have been asleep at the wheel for the last 10 plus years but that’s the fault of the voters too.With the high taxes we pay we deserve so much better than we get unfortunately for me this state is past the point of recovery in my lifetime and living in a state without state taxes wherever that may be far outweighs this hypocritical nonsense.
You better get your news somewhere ELSE, Robert. You are really mis-informed! You been hiding in a cave? Especially if you have kids! You can’t afford to walk around so ignorant like that! It’s not fair to any of you!
Guess he wasn’t informed on his programing about one in three school kids testing positive for COVID in Florida. Yes, the virus is the same here as in Florida and it wants you. It sneaks up on you when you let your guard down. Then it hurts you.
Florida numbers were falsified. It’s been proven. Stop spreading lies.
This story was on FOX.
Classic Denny following CNN/MSNBC panic stats. Testing positive is not the issue. Dying from it is the issue and very few minors have been impacted or even spread it to adults. Someone who had it and never knew it and now has the antibodies are counted as a positive test. Someone who has tested positive and gets tested again 5x is counted as 5 positive tests. I know someone in this category. Everyone who dies of anything including a car accident but is positive is called a Covid death. These are bad stats.
22 countries put their kids back to school in the spring and after a slight uptick, have flattened the curve. This is a good thing but Unions want remote (i.e. paid vacations) so they get remote. Unions come first, kids and working parents dead last in this State. It is why honest hardworking people like us are leaving in droves. Good luck with what will be left.
Where you move to, remember what screwed up Cali and DON’T repeat it in your new state! That means don’t vote for idiots!
Who died and made this guy King?
141,000+ Americans died thus far, just how many will it take before you care?
In SCV? How many? If we were not placing positive senior citizens back in to the nursing homes, you’d see the death count go down. Terrible procedure in place for our senior citizens. Where is the outrage?! But let’s keep focusing on the count.
One thing’s for sure! You’ve had no education, and that would be sad in itself, but no common sense at all and being an ignorant internet Troll, that’s tragic. For you, that is, and everyone who has to listen to your dumb ass! Go away, or better yet, drop dead, you creep! Now!
Covid will not go away anytime soon. If you all think we will make the two week parameters you are in la la land. And the person who wants to leave California. Go for it. Not all counties and school districts in other states are following the draconian measures of Newscum.
Newsom,Pelosi,Harris,Feinstein,Schiff and Garcetti are a bunch of tools.
Nobody’s going to school around here for a WHILE! As it should be!