Tag: Fall

Doctor: If schools reopen for fall, likely to close by end of October

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  • The fall semester is quickly approaching for numerous US school districts, but lawmakers, school board members, and parents are still debating how and whether schools should reopen during the coronavirus pandemic.
  • Matt Lambert, an emergency medicine physician and former chief medical information officer for New York City Health and Hospitals, told Business Insider that schools could reopen with strict health safety precautions but that the prevalence of the virus could challenge their ability to stay open.
  • Lambert said it could be difficult identifying and separating coronavirus cases and flu cases because of the similarity between symptoms and increased exposure to others.
  • “When the flu comes back around October, it’s going to create some challenges intermingling with the coronavirus, because patients don’t come in saying, ‘I have the coronavirus,’ or, ‘I have the flu’ — they come in saying, ‘I have a fever, a cough, or shortness of breath,'” he said.
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Top PA Health Official ‘Optimistic’ For In-Person Fall Start

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HARRISBURG, PA — Pennsylvania health officials affirmed Thursday that the state remains committed to reopening schools for in-person learning this fall, stressing that the actions we take now will determine the safety of the environment when children and teachers return to the classrooms.

Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Rachel Levine, speaking during a Thursday news conference, said the state maintains its goal “right now” is that schools will be open for in-person learning this fall. She noted many districts are planning varying degrees of in-person instruction, including hybrid or matrix models.

“We are going to stay positive and optimistic that there will be in-person school when school opens in August and we’ll be working towards that,” Levine said.

But, she stressed, there are things we can do now to ensure that goal happens, like wearing masks and following the governor’s mitigation guidelines.

“That’s why the mitigation efforts we have talked about

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University Of Washington Moves More Fall Courses Online

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SEATTLE, WA — The University of Washington is scaling back plans to hold small, in-person courses this fall quarter, citing an “alarming increase” in COVID-19 cases seen in Washington and much of the United States.

In late June, UW unveiled plans that would allow for courses with 50 or fewer students to be taught in large classrooms, while larger classes would be offered remotely. The university prioritized physical instruction for “hands-on” courses, which require time in studios, clinics or labs.

As the number of coronavirus cases and rates of transmission continue to grow in King County and elsewhere, school leadership is adjusting the fall outlook to include even less time spent on campus.

UW sent letters to students, staff and faculty Wednesday, informing them of the latest changes.

“Although conditions continue to be extremely fluid and unpredictable, we write today to provide you with the best information and guidance we

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Modernism Week Considers Virtual Fall Preview: Palm Springs

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PALM SPRINGS, CA — Modernism Week has announced that due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and state and city regulations, it has decided to not offer in-person events for the upcoming Fall Preview, scheduled for October 15-18.

Instead, online virtual programming that would be accessed from the Modernism Week website is under consideration.

“As we continue to review current health guidelines and make plans for the Fall Preview, it has become clear that it will not be possible for us to present live events in the fall,” said J. Chris Mobley, Modernism Week chief executive officer. “Instead, we hope to create a sampling of online virtual programs that will be educational, engaging and entertaining.”

Mobley said providing a safe environment for participants, volunteers, partners and staff is priority.

“Offering virtual architectural experiences, which may include home tours and design presentations, allows us to continue to provide a quality experience in

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Reopening plans at UC Berkeley, other campuses fall apart amid coronavirus surge

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A group of students walk through the Sather Gate at UC Berkeley. <span class="copyright">(Eric Risberg / Associated Press)</span>
A group of students walk through the Sather Gate at UC Berkeley. (Eric Risberg / Associated Press)

Hopes that college life might begin a slow return to normal this fall were deflated Tuesday, when two University of California campuses announced they would begin the semester with fully remote instruction amid a pandemic surge.

UC Berkeley and UC Merced had hoped to open Aug. 26 with a mix of online, in-person and hybrid classes. But they reversed those plans as COVID-19 infections began their record-shattering increases throughout California, with cases now topping more than 400,000 and deaths, 7,800. In Los Angeles County, half of new COVID-19 cases were among those ages 18 to 40.

The UC reversals follow other decisions to do likewise by several California campuses, including USC, Pomona College and Occidental College. Nationally, the proportion of colleges and universities planning for in-person classes has declined from about two-thirds in

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Santa Cruz Students Likely Won’t Return To School This Fall

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SANTA CRUZ, CA — The Santa Cruz County Office of Education confirmed Monday that it does not anticipate students will return to in-person classes in the fall.

That’s because Santa Cruz County met the criteria for the state monitoring list, which indicates state public health officials are keeping an eye on concerning COVID-19 statistics, wrote Santa Cruz City Schools Superintendent Kris Munro and other county schools officials in an open letter Monday. Of particular concern was the fact that the COVID-19 case count has been higher than 100 cases per 100,000 people for more than three consecutive days.

While Santa Cruz County had not been added the state’s list as of Tuesday evening, county Health Officer Gail Newel previously said that she expected Santa Cruz County to join its neighboring counties on the monitoring list.

In order for a school district to open for in-class instruction, it must be in

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Watsonville Students Likely Won’t Return To School This Fall

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WATSONVILLE, CA — The Santa Cruz County Office of Education confirmed Monday that it does not anticipate students will return to in-person classes in the fall.

That’s because Santa Cruz County met the criteria for the state monitoring list, which indicates state public health officials are keeping an eye on concerning COVID-19 statistics, wrote Pajaro Valley Unified School District Superintendent Michelle Rodriguez and other county schools officials in an open letter Monday. Of particular concern was the fact that the COVID-19 case count has been higher than 100 cases per 100,000 people for more than three consecutive days, school officials said.

While Santa Cruz County had not been added the state’s list as of Tuesday evening, county Health Officer Gail Newel previously said that she expected Santa Cruz County to join its neighboring counties on the monitoring list.

In order for a school district to open for in-class instruction, it

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Britain not the only country to fall short on care homes, Professor Chris Whitty says

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Coronavirus Article Bar with counter ..
Coronavirus Article Bar with counter ..

The UK is not the only country in the world to have mishandled coronavirus outbreaks in care homes, England’s chief medical officer has said.

Addressing the Health and Social Care Committee, Professor Chris Whitty told MPs that “it is clear that every country that has a care sector has not handled this well and the UK is one country that has not handled this well.”

“Across the board this has been a major problem,” he said, adding that some risks, such as care workers not being paid sick pay so they could self-isolate, clearly added to the high rates of transmission. But that these factors only became “obvious in retrospect”. 

It comes as Prof John Bell, Regius Professor at University of Oxford, told the Commons committee that one of the UK’s biggest failures was not being on the “front foot” in preparation for a

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What to do on Friday nights this fall without high school football?

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Denzel Washington tackled the 2000 role of coach Herman Boone in "Remember the Titans." <span class="copyright">(Tracy Bennett / Buena Vista Pictures)</span>
Denzel Washington tackled the 2000 role of coach Herman Boone in “Remember the Titans.” (Tracy Bennett / Buena Vista Pictures)

With the CIF deciding to delay the start of the high school football season until Jan. 8 because of uncertainty and safety concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic, families are going to need to find a substitute plan for what to do on Friday nights this fall.

Let’s call it Friday Night Lights revised.

Among the possible alternatives:

• Subscribe to Hulu and watch all five seasons of the TV series, “Friday Night Lights.”

• Make Friday night a family night to watch your favorite sports movie. The candidates: “Blindside”; “Remember the Titans”; “Hoosiers”; “Mighty Ducks”; “Field of Dreams.”

• Stream seven-on-seven football games from your nearest park. By October and November, if county health departments give approval, seven-on-seven passing competitions could be possible.

• Friday night barbecue. Yes, get some

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Fall 2020 Reopening Plans At The Top 100 U.S. Business Schools

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They’ll be following all the rules this fall at the University of Michigan: masks, social distancing, smaller class sizes, frequent hand and surface washing, and more — much more. They’ll also be pioneering new rules for a new reality, particularly in the realm of remote instruction, as befits one of the country’s leading centers of social and cultural innovation. Put it all together and Scott DeRue, dean of the Ross School of Business, expects a memorable term.

“As with every year, I’m looking forward to welcoming students back to campus safely for a very successful fall term,” DeRue says. “Of course, I also recognize the profound difficulties that many of our students face in this moment, and that much uncertainty remains for all of us. We will get through this, and we will do it together.”

Five months after it shut down business school campuses and curtailed spring instruction and … Read More