SOMSD Virtual for the first week following winter break

Whoomp there it is.

https://www.somsd.k12.nj.us/headlines/2021/12/22/10317/

I am guessing many other districts will be doing the same. 

I also would not be surprised if the return to in-person instruction was delayed by a week or two further depending on transmission rates in the community. 

in this communication the district once again point out that there does not appear to be in school transmission. Weather, this is a reaction to infection levels and transmission numbers in the community.

I think that this is their way to make everyone quarantine at home after holiday travel. 

RichardR said:

I think that this is their way to make everyone quarantine at home after holiday travel. 

I think you've hit the nail on the head. 

mrincredible said:

I also would not be surprised if the return to in-person instruction was delayed by a week or two further depending on transmission rates in the community. 

in this communication the district once again point out that there does not appear to be in school transmission. Weather, this is a reaction to infection levels and transmission numbers in the community.

Enough parents have reported no contact tracing of their childrens’ reported infections that it is unlikely the District actually has enough data to know whether or not there is in-school transmission.

I think that they gave up on contact tracing.  CHS had 50 cases in the last two days.  That would require identifying approximately 350 classes and the students who sit in close proximity to the COVID+ student in each.

Note that at least one complaint of no contact tracing goes back to around Halloween.

Steve said:

I think that they gave up on contact tracing.  CHS had 50 cases in the last two days.  That would require identifying approximately 350 classes and the students who sit in close proximity to the COVID+ student in each.

Just sending out the contact letters is the easier part, as it only needs class lists and vaccine status. (And likely won’t get done while the schools are on break).

But to claim there is no transmission in schools requires showing that kids who tested positive and had close contact at school ALSO had close contact outside of school, in presumably less protected ways (eg unmasked hanging out, playing sports together, etc).  

If you aren’t doing contact tracing interviews I don’t think you can legitimately make the claim of no transmission in school, which has been routinely made by our leadership. 

Well, they actually said that there was no evidence of in school transmission.  If you don't bother to look for something, you won't find it.  As for the close contact letters, I don't think that they were sending it to everyone in every class (based upon how few my CHS student received) and it was definitely not vaccine dependent as to whether or not it was sent.

Kids are affected by omicron spread.

Note-I'm having trouble attaching pediatric hospitalizations graph. You can segment CDC hospitalizations by age and see that, while the number is relatively small, the increase is sharp in the past couple of weeks.