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About Baker City herald. (Baker City, Or.) 1990-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 1, 2020)
COMMUNITY SATURDAY, AUGUST 1, 2020 SCHOOLS Continued from Page 1A The requirements aren’t as strict for students in grades K-3, who Brown says studies have shown are less likely to contract and spread the coronavirus. The District had planned to bring all students from K-6 back to school for modifi ed in-person classes on the fi rst day of the new year. Those in Grades 7-12 were to be taught from the start in a hybrid model that called for dividing the students into two cohort groups that would rotate between online and in-person study every other day throughout the four-day week. But based on the metrics the governor announced Tuesday, Baker County’s rate of new weekly positive cases exceeds the standard for hav- ing any in-person classes, including a hybrid model. “Our metrics today are pretty clear,” Witty said. “Under the cur- rent guidelines, we’re doing compre- hensive distance learning.” COVID Continued from Page 1A “I’m very thankful that the people we’ve talked to, they want to reduce the risk of anyone else getting sick,” Hills said. “They don’t want to put any of their family members at risk, or anyone in the community.” Hills said people who have tested positive have cooper- ated with the county’s contact tracers to compile a list of people whom they might have inadvertently infected. And these patients have also complied with the county’s request that they self-isolate at home for 10 days after the onset of symp- toms, and for 24 hours after symptoms dissipate, she said. Hills said people who have been in close contact with a resident who tested posi- tive have also cooperated, by self-quarantining for 14 days after having had close contact with an infected person. The county also asks those people to take their temperature twice per day and report the results, as well as any other possible COVID-19 symp- toms, to the Health Depart- ment. “From our interactions with people, I think that, yes, the majority of them are following our guidance,” Hills said. Case investigation process Hills said the rate of con- fi rmed cases has been slow enough that she’s been able to conduct all the initial inter- views with infected residents. Baker County’s weekly peak has been nine cases from July 19-25, according to the Oregon Health Authority (OHA). Of the 29 positive tests, 28 have been reported since June 30, including two new cases on Friday. (The county’s fi rst case was reported May 6.) As of Friday, 922 county residents have tested nega- tive for COVID-19, according to the OHA. That’s about At the Aug. 5 noon meeting, which will be conducted remotely by Zoom,Witty will present more information and ask the Board for its decision on the issue. To be able to offer any in-person classes for grades 4-12, a district must be in a county that has a new case rate of 10 per 100,000 popula- tion or less for three straight weeks, and a test positivity rate of 5% or below for three straight weeks. In addition, the overall Oregon positiv- ity rate has to stay below 5% for three straight weeks. For Baker County, more than one positive case per week would pre- vent in-person school from taking place under the current metrics. The requirement for having in- person classes for grades K-3 is 30 cases for 100,000 population or less for three straight weeks. Witty presented a chart compar- ing seven rural Oregon counties that would be held to the same stan- dards as Oregon’s most populous counties on the western side of the state. 5.5% of the county’s estimat- ed population of 16,800. Hills said that when she receives confi rmation about a positive test, either from a doctor or medical clinic, she telephones the patient. In most cases the person has already been notifi ed by a health care provider, she said, although in some cases she has told the person about the positive test. Hills said the initial phone call generally lasts around 20 minutes. She asks the patients about symptoms and any underlying medical conditions they might have. A crucial part of the inter- view, though, is compiling the list of the person’s close contacts. The Centers for Disease Control and Preven- tion defi ne close contact as being within 6 feet of another person for 15 minutes or longer, Hills said. Those criteria apply regardless of whether the en- counter happened indoors or outdoors, and whether or not either of the people involved was wearing a face covering, she said. Hills said she asks patients to list all potential close contacts from two days before symptoms began. She said all the people who have tested positive had symptoms of varying degrees. Generally local residents who don’t have symptoms aren’t being tested because they don’t meet the CDC criteria for testing. Because it can be challeng- ing for people to remember who they might have had close contact with over a period of a week or longer, Hills said that after her initial Harney County, for example, is the state’s largest county by area with 10,133 square miles, and has less than one person (0.7) per square mile. Under the current metrics, Harney County, which as of Friday had recorded eight positive cases, could not have even one per- son test positive in a week and still qualify to have in-person classes. Harney County has 10 separate schools or districts. In seeking change in the state- wide system, Witty showed a draft presentation that regional repre- sentatives plan to share with state leaders in the hope of prompting more fl exibility for rural counties. On Thursday, Witty discussed the presentation with the Board. Among other points, the paper points out that the long distances between communities in rural counties make it diffi cult for residents to interact. “This needs to be taken into consideration when calculating the threat of community spread,” the presentation states. The regional group would BAKER CITY HERALD — 5A propose, instead, that local health offi cials be given authority to set the metrics for an area based on their fi rsthand experience and knowledge of their counties. Witty said offi cials from the governor’s offi ce and the Oregon De- partment of Education are willing to look at making changes. “Folks are working with us and are attempting to come up with strategies that make sense, especial- ly for frontier counties,” Witty said. “We too have a responsibility,” he said. “We want to keep our students, staff and families safe. But this met- ric of one size fi ts all, doesn’t quite fi t Baker County.” Witty asked the Board for guid- ance about how to proceed. He said he envisions comprehensive distance learning in a block of six to nine weeks when classes get underway. As coronavirus trends are analyzed, a move to in-person school might be possible at that time. Witty said he would expect staff to be in their buildings during the all-online learning model. symptoms, and then asks the person to self-quarantine for 14 days from the date of the close contact. The county encourages people who have symptoms to visit a doctor and, ideally, be tested. Self-quarantine means the person tries to avoid contact with others as much as possible, generally leaving home only for doctor’s ap- pointments, or to take a walk or car ride if it’s possible to avoid contact with others. People are also asked to try to minimize contact with others in their household, if they don’t live alone. Hills said the self-quar- antine period is important because a person can infect others up to two days before symptoms begin. Hills said there have been situations in which a person who was listed as a close Contact tracing contact by an infected person Once Hills has compiled the subsequently had symptoms list of close contacts, she or an- and also tested positive. other county employee starts Some of these cases the contact tracing process. involved transmission by a Thus far she and four other tracers have been able to handle the workload, al- though Hills said the county has additional people trained to do contact tracing if neces- sary. Contact tracing is similar to the interview with the person who tested positive. Hills said she phones the person and explains — if the person hasn’t already been notifi ed by the resident who tested positive, as sometimes has happened — that he or she might have been in close contact with an infected person. She inquires about possible phone interview she sched- ules a follow-up call to give people more time to consult a calendar, talk with relatives or otherwise refresh their memories. “We try to help jog their memory,” she said. Typically close contacts occur at social gatherings, ap- pointments or similar events, Hills said. A person who has shopped at a store, for instance, probably won’t have any encounter that qualifi es as a close contact. However, Hills said she asks people to make sure they didn’t, say, stop to talk with a fellow shopper for longer than 15 minutes at the grocery store. Hills said the number of people on the fi nal list of close contacts has varied, in Baker County’s 29 cases, from as few as two people to around 10. Open for dining in “I’ve told the union that one of the things I’m going to require is that you’re in your class,” he said, adding that the full breadth of availability to the new technology equipment is accessed from the classrooms. “We’ve got to have really good expectations with students, families and staff and accountability mea- sures built in,” Witty said. Food service and child care also will be two major components of the new school year. “It’s defi nitely part of our strategy to be able to offer child care to our employees as well as to essential workers,” Witty said. Board members agreed that plans should be fi nalized as quickly as possible for the benefi t of the community’s children and families. “I like the idea of getting another week of information,” said direc- tor Julie Huntington. “From my perspective, kids need routine and they need to know what’s expected of them. They just don’t adapt well to everything being up in the air.” Some people have initially believed they were suffering from allergies, she said. Hills urges residents to be especially vigilant in taking stock of their health, and to not ignore symptoms such Recovered patients as a sore throat, headache Hills said the Baker or muscle aches just be- County Health Department cause they don’t also have a doesn’t follow up on cases cough or a fever. for the purpose of determin- Although the latter two ing whether the person has symptoms are strongly recovered. associated with COVID-19, The OHA does maintain neither is defi nitive. People some statistics about the can be infected with the recovery rate, but the data virus and not have a fever are not separated by county. or a cough, she said. However, no one in Baker Hills says people who feel County has died as a result sick should at a minimum of COVID-19 infection. stay home from work and Moreover, county offi cials try to minimize their con- have said no one is hospital- tact with others. ized for treatment. And she urges people who have cold-like symptoms to Recommendations for visit a doctor and, potential- residents ly, be tested for COVID-19. Hills said that in inter- Hills said the county’s viewing the residents who ultimate goals are to protect tested positive, it’s clear the community and to that in many cases symp- handle the pandemic to the toms of infections are “very extent possible to ensure mild.” businesses can remain open. resident to a family member in the same household, and others involved the infection of an acquaintance who isn’t a member of the household, Hills said. TREASURE VALLEY STEEL, INC. Manufacturing Zee & Cee Purlins In-HouseCustom Cut Exact Lengths • 24 Colors • Custom Trim • 2 1/2” Corrugated • Delivery Available • Full Soffitt Line • 3 ft. Gulf Coast Panel • 3 ft. PBR Panel • 3 ft. Mesa Panel • 3 ft. Tuff Rib Panel • Standing Seam DELIVERY • 2 ft. Delta Rib AVAILABLE • 3 ft. 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