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Friday, March 29, 2024

Mayor, health officials recommend KCMO schools start after Labor Day

Credit: KMBC
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Mayor, health officials recommend KCMO schools start after Labor Day
Mayor, health officials recommend KCMO schools start after Labor Day
Mayor, health officials recommend KCMO schools start after Labor Day

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI SAW ITSHIGHEST RATE OF NEW INFECTIONS.KANSAS CITY SAW ITS NEWESTNUMBER OF DEATHS.KANSAS CITY HAS SEEN AN INCREASEIN HOSPITALIZATIONS.THOSE THINGS THERE WAS GREATCONCERN ABOUT OUR ABILITY TOCONTAIN THE SPREAD WITH SCHOOLSBEING OPEN AND ANY TYPE OFNORMAL STRUCTURE IN PLAY.THAT BEING SAID, WE ALSORECOGNIZE THAT SCHOOLS ARE VITALTO OUR SOCIETY, TO HOW WEFUNCTION, TO HOW CHILDREN ARETAKEN AN EDUCATED.WE HAVE NO INTEREST IN SEEINGSCHOOLS DELAYED SIGNIFICANTLY.WE HAVE NO INTEREST IN SEEINGEDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOROUR CHILDREN LIMITED.WITH THAT, WE MAKE THE FOLLOWINGANNOUNCEMENTS.FIRST I WILL NOTE THAT WE WILLHAVE A SERIES OF RECOMMENDATIONSFROM KANSAS CITY, NOT MANDATES.THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS WILLINCLUDE THE FOLLOWING.IN ALIGNMENT WITH OUR PEERS INTHE STATE OF KANSAS, WE ARERECOMMENDING THAT SCHOOL STARTAFTER LABOR DAY, NO EARLIER THANTUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8.BECAUSE THAT IS A RECOMMENDATIONRATHER THAN A MANDATE, WEBELIEVE IT TO SCHOOL MEN -- TWOCHARTER SCHOOLS, PAROCHIALSCHOOLS AND ALL SCHOOLS WITHBUILDINGS IN KANSAS CITY,MISSOURI TO DO WHAT IS BEST FORTHEM AND THEIR STUDENTS.WE WOULD MAKE THATRECOMMENDATION.OUR SECOND RECOMMENDATION IS, ASSCHOOLS ARE ORGANIZING BOTHTHEIR CLASSROOMS AND THEFACILITIES, THEY RECOGNIZE THATTHE RATE OF INFECTION, THE RISKOF INFECTION, INCREASES BY AGE,SO THAT WHERE SOCIAL DISTANCINGIS AVAILABLE FOR THINGS LIKESENIORS AND JUNIORS IN HIGHSCHOOL, IT IS BETTER FOR US TOMAKE SURE WE ARE USING SOCIALDISTANCING, VIRTUAL CLASSROOMENVIRONMENTS, ETC., WHEREAS WITHYOUNGER CHILDREN THE RISK OFINFECTION HAS BEEN FOUND TO BELOWER, AND SO IN THOSESITUATIONS, WE THINK A RETURN TOREGULAR CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION,OR AT LEAST AS REGULAR AS IT CANBE, SOMETHING WE CAN SEE SOONER.I’VE ALSO NOTE THAT WE AREASKING ALL OF OUR COUNTYDEPARTMENTS -- THAT WOULD BEPLATTE COUNTY, JACKSON COUNTY,CASS COUNTY -- FORTUNATELY, OURFRIENDS IN CLAY COUNTY HAVEALREADY PROVIDED FUNDING.WE ARE ASKING OUR PARTNERS TOPROVIDE FURTHER FUNDING TOSCHOOLS TO HELP FACILITATE THEREOPENING.IN CLAY COUNTY, FOR EXAMPLE,MILLIONS OF DOLLARS HAVE BEENGIVEN TO SCHOOL DISTRICTS INLIBERTY, NORTH KANSAS CITY, ANDSMITHVILLE, AMONG OTHERS, TOHELP FACILITATE THE REOPENING OFCLASSROOMS, TO HELP ENSURE THATFACULTY, STAFF, AND STUDENTSWILL BE SAFE ON THE RETURN.OUR OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS INCASS, JACKSON, AND PLATTE COUNTYDESERVE THE SAME OPPORTUNITIESAND THEY HAVE BEEN ASKING FORSUPPORT.I ASKED MY COUNTY PARTNERS TOMAKE SURE THEY ARE HELPING USWITH THAT ALONG THE WAY.PEOPLE SAY THIS FOR YOU AS WELL.THERE IS NO BROAD PLAN FOR US TOCLOSE SCHOOL BUILDINGS IF WE CANAVOID IT.WHAT THAT MEANS IS, TO THEEXTENT WE SEE OUTBREAKS, WEWOULD LOOK TO IDENTIFY THEM ASTO INDIVIDUALS, AS TO INDIVIDUALCLASSROOMS, AND ASKED INDIVIDUALSCHOOL BUILDINGS.WE HAVE NO INTENTION, IF WE CANAVOID IT, TO MORE BROADLY CLOSEALL SCHOOLS IN KANSAS CITY,MISSOURI, AS WE SAW LAST SPRING.HOWEVER, WE ARE ALWAYS MEASURINGINFECTIONS, HOSPITALIZATIONS,AND DEATHS AS A MEASUREMENT OFWHAT IS NECESSARY FOR US GOINGFORWARD.A FEW OTHER ITEMS, AND THEN IWILL GET OUT OF THE WAY FOR DR.ARCHER.ONE RELATES TO THE FACT THATYOUTH TOURNAMENTS AND YOUTHSPORTS TOURNAMENTS HAVE BEEN ATOPIC OF MUCH DISCUSSION OFLATE.WE UNDERSTAND THAT EVERYONENEEDS TO GO OUTSIDE, ANDORGANIZED ACTIVITIES ARE NOTSOMETHING WE SAY ARE BAD IN ANYWAY.LARGE YOUTH TOURNAMENTS THATHAVE BROUGHT TOGETHER HUNDREDSOF COMPETITORS HAVE BEEN SEEN INOTHER PARTS OF MISSOURI,PARTICULARLY IN ST.

LOUISCOUNTY, TO HAVE SPREAD COVID-19FAIRLY SIGNIFICANTLY.WE ARE ASKING THOSE WHO ORGANIZEYOUTH TOURNAMENTS AND OTHERLARGER COMBINATION YOUTHACTIVITIES, TO HOLD OFF FROMSCHEDULING THOSE UNTIL AT LEASTAFTER OUR SCHOOL START DATE, ORTO HAVE SMALLER INTERSCHOLASTICOR INTER-TEAM COMPETITIONS OVERTIME.WE WILL ALSO NOTE THAT FORSCHOOLS THAT ARE INTERESTED ININ PERSON INSTRUCTION, THERESTILL IS A STRONG PREFERENCE FOROUTDOOR EVENTS, RECREATIONINSTRUCTION, RATHER THAN INDOORSPACES BEING USED.ACTIVITIES RELATED TO MASKSRELATE TO INDOOR PUBLICACCOMMODATIONS.THERE IS A DISTINCT WANTSBETWEEN WHAT WE ARE SEEINGINDOORS VERSUS THE OUTDOORS.EVEN WHERE THERE ARE STILL YOUTHSPORTS PRACTICING -- FOREXAMPLE, LET’S SAY THERE IS ACROSS COUNTRY TEAM THAT ISPRACTICING ALREADY.WE WOULD ENCOURAGE THOSE COACHESNOT TO HAVE INDOOR ACTIVITIES ONA RAINY MORNING, PERHAPS LIKETHIS ONE, OR FOR CREDITFACILITIES LIKE SHOWERS ANDOTHER FACILITIES TO BE USEDPRIOR TO THE START OF THE SCHOOLDAY.WE APPRECIATE OUR RELATIONSHIPWITH ALL OF OUR SCHOOL PARTNERS,AND THAT IS WHY WE ARE SHARINGTHIS INFORMATION AT THIS TIMEWITH ALL OF THEM.THIS IS NOT JUST AN ISSUE WHEREWE ARE SPEAKING TO ONE SCHOOLDISTRICT, OR JUST PUBLICSCHOOLS.WE UNDERSTAND PAROCHIAL PRIVATESCHOOLS, CHARTER SCHOOLS, ANDPUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE AN IMPORTANTPART OF OUR EDUCATIONAL NETWORKIN KANSAS CITY.WE UNDERSTAND THE HEALTH OFTEACHERS, AND OUR FACULTY ANDSTAFF, ARE VITAL TO KANSAS CITYAS WELL.IT IS IN CONNECTION TO ALL OFTHOSE, INCLUDING THE HEALTH OFCHILDREN, FACULTY, PARENTS,SPOUSES, AND SO MANY OTHERS THATWE MAKE THOSE RECOMMENDATIONSTODAY.I WILL BE FOLLOWED BY DR. REXARCHER AND THEN I WILL COME BACKFOR MORE QUESTIONS.DR. ARCHER: THANK YOU, MAYOR.SOME OF YOU MAY REMEMBER BACK INTHE SPRING, MY CONCERN IS THATTHE BENEFITS OF EDUCATION AREOUTWEIGHING THE RISK OF THEDISEASE SPREADING TO KIDS INSCHOOLS.I ACTUALLY WAS NOT SUPPORTINGCLOSING SCHOOLS AT THAT TIME.WE CLOSED AND DID THESTAY-AT-HOME ORDERS ABOUT A WEEKBEFORE WE SAW THE FIRST CASESHERE IN KANSAS CITY.THAT OVERALL STAY-AT-HOMECLOSURE MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCEIN OUR FIRST WAVE.UNFORTUNATELY, WE STILL HAD 16DEATHS.AS YOU CAN SEE NOW, WE ARE ATALMOST TWICE THAT, AND THAT ISCONTINUING TO GROW.OVER THE LAST 10 DAYS OF THISMONTH, VERSUS THE FIRST 10 DAYSOF THIS MONTH, WE HAVE SEEN ASUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN FOLKSUNDER 19 HAVING THIS DISEASE.AND THAT IS THE BIG CONCERN.WE ARE SEEING HUGE SPIKES NOW INTHE ST.

LOUIS AREA, AND WE HAVEOFTEN FOLLOWED ST.

LOUIS WITHTHIS DISEASE AND THIS OUTBREAK.BECAUSE OF THAT, EVERY SCHOOLDISTRICT NEEDS TO ASSUME THATTHEY HAVE GOT VIRTUAL CAPACITYTO HANDLE EDUCATION FOR THE KIDSFOR THIS FALL, BECAUSE OFCHANCES THAT INDIVIDUALS, PARTSOF CLASSROOMS, ENTIRECLASSROOMS, OR POTENTIALLY ANENTIRE BUILDING, MIGHT HAVE TOBE -- BECAUSE OF THE OUTBREAK.WE ALSO ARE WORRIED ABOUT THETRANSMISSION OF THE VIRUS TO THEFACULTY, THE ADULTS, THETEACHERS, THE SUPPORT STAFF THATARE IN THOSE SCHOOLS.THERE ARE REALLY TWO PIECES OFHOPE.ONE, THE WEARING OF THE MASK ISCATCHING ON.MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ARECOMPLYING WITH THAT.WE ARE HOPING THAT THAT WILLSLOW DOWN THE RATE OF THEINCREASE OF THIS DISEASE.THE OTHER IS THAT WE ARE SEEINGMOST OF OUR TRANSMISSION TO KIDSCOMING FROM ADULTS, FAMILYMEMBERS, NOT KID TO KID SPREAD,OR KID TO ADULT SPREAD.SO THAT IS PART OF WHY WEBELIEVE THAT, PARTICULARLY FORTHE YOUNGER GRADE LEVELS, WE AREMUCH MORE LIKELY TO BESUCCESSFUL AT KEEPING THEM INCLASSROOM INSTRUCTION ANDPROTECTING EVERYBODY THEN WE MAYHAVE FOR THE HIGH SCHOOLS.-- THAN WE MAY HAVE FOR THE HIGHSCHOOLS.PART OF THE ISSUE OF DELAYINGTHIS OPENING UNTIL AFTER LABORDAY WILL GIVE US A BETTER SENSEOF WHERE IS THE OUTBREAK GOING.IS IT SLOWING DOWN?IS IT ACTUALLY DROPPING BACKAGAIN?OR IS IT CONTINUING TO INCREASEAT THE RATE WE HAVE BEEN SEEING?WE HAVE SEEN SUBSTANTIALINCREASE IN THE LAST 10 DAYS TOTHE FIRST 10 DAYS.

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