There are numerous studies and a huge amount of evidence that children most benefit from in-person learning and that there is an extremely low risk of them contracting, suffering complications from, and/or spreading COVID-19.
Kids Aren't Big COVID-19 Spreaders. Really. - https://nyti.ms/2Ycd4Hz
The Importance of Reopening America's Schools This Fall - https://bit.ly/2Yewvj0
Reopened schools in Europe and Asia have largely avoided coronavirus outbreaks. They have lessons for the U.S. - https://wapo.st/2FCbFne
This evidence, combined with the extremely low test positivity rate and deaths in San Francisco should warrant that schools be allowed to open in our city (https://data.sfgov.org/stories/s/d96w-cdge).
However, the standard by which California counties are being held to is making this nearly impossible. San Francisco is nowhere near being let off the state watchlist, yet only checks the box for one of the indexes keeping it on there (see #2 below), a near impossible standard, especially with the intense focus on increasing testing. Schools are not allowed to reopen until counties are off the watchlist for 14 days.
1. A seven-day average of fewer than 150 tests conducted per 100,000 residents
2. More than 100 cases per 100,000 residents over 14 days. (As of 8/20, San Francisco is at 122.9 cases per 100,000 residents over 14 days.)
3. More than 25 cases per 100,000 residents over 14 days AND a seven-day average of test positivity over 8%
4. A 10% increase in the three-day-average for hospitalizations
5. Having less than 20% of ICU beds available (As of 8/20, SF as 17% of ICU bed available, but could be impacted by ICU beds being removed, not filled.)
6. Having less than 25% of ventilators available
We respectfully ask that either:
a) The State of California revise the metrics that place a county on the state watchlist, which currently make it nearly impossible to get off the watchlist
OR
b) That San Francisco be granted an exception to reopen in-person learning at schools, based on the very low test positivity rate and overall deaths during COVID-19
