Florida Counties Still In COVID Red 'Hotspot' Category - School Opening Cautions

The CDC issued on Friday recommendations for the opening of schools. suggesting four color-coded categories of low, moderate, substantial, and high transmission with criteria for each separate color-coded category.

High transmission, or red zone is defined as 100 or more new cases per 100,000 population in the last 7 days for any particular county and 10% or higher positive tests averagred during the last 7 days. If the two categories conflict, the higher threshold should be used. says the CDC. 

Hendry with 178 cases per 100K. 13% positivity, Lee with 191 per 100K , Charlotte with 139 per 100K, and Collier with 175 per 100K, in SW Florida all are in the red zone and under CDC recommendations should have the most restrictions for school openings and school precautions. Hendry county has the highest test positivity rate of all the SW Florida counties.

Hendry schools currently have 110 students in quarantine, including 15 tested positive for COVID. Five staff are quarantined, and two tested positive.

Schools in red zones should follow these recommendations: 

-Elementary schools in hybrid learning mode or reduced attendance4
-Physical distancing of 6 feet or more is required
-Middle and high schools in virtual only instruction unless they can strictly implement all mitigation strategies, and have few cases; schools that are already open for in-person instruction can remain open, but only if they strictly implement mitigation strategies and have few cases5
-Sports and extracurricular activities are virtual only

All counties in the South Florida area have 100 or more new cases per 100K in the last seven days.

The reports for all U.S. counties for rates of positive tests and new case transmission rates are found here: COVID County Views

The FDC report on school openings says:

" As communities plan safe delivery of in-person instruction in K-12 schools, it is essential to decide when and under what conditions to help protect students, teachers, and staff and slow the spread of SARSCoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. It is critical for schools to open as safely and as soon as possible, and remain open, to achieve the benefits of in-person learning and key support services. 

To enable schools to open safely and remain open, it is important to adopt and consistently implement actions to slow the spread of SARS-CoV-2 both in schools and in the community. This means that all community members, students, families, teachers, and school staff should take actions to protect themselves and others where they live, work, learn, and play. 

In short, success in preventing the introduction and subsequent transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in schools is connected to and facilitated by preventing transmission in the broader community. This operational strategy presents recommendations based on the best-available evidence at the time of release. 

As science and data on COVID-19 continue to evolve, guidance and recommendations will be updated to reflect new evidence. 

This document is intended to complement CDC’s guidance, tools, and resources for K-12 schools, including guidance on operating schools during COVID-19 and overview of testing for SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19). This document is intended to complement the U.S. Department of Education’s Handbook on Strategies for Safely Reopening Elementary and Secondary Schools. It reflects evidence on COVID-19 among children and adolescents and what is known about SARS-CoV-2 transmission in schools, summarized in CDC’s Science Brief on Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in K-12 Schools. 

This operational strategy presents a pathway to reopen schools and help them remain open through consistent use of mitigation strategies, especially universal and correct use of masks and physical distancing. 

Evidence suggests that many K-12 schools that have strictly implemented mitigation strategies have been able to safely open for in-person instruction and remain open.1 This document provides an operational strategy to support K-12 schools in opening for in-person instruction and remaining open through an integrated package of mitigation components. 

These essential elements include: 1. Consistent implementation of layered mitigation strategies to reduce transmission of SARS-CoV2 in schools 2. Indicators of community transmission to reflect level of community risk 3. Phased mitigation and learning modes based on levels of community transmission The following public health efforts provide additional layers of COVID-19 prevention in schools: • Testing to identify individuals with SARS-CoV-2 infection to limit transmission and outbreaks • Vaccination for teachers and school staff, and in communities, as soon as supply allows."