The Connecticut Department of Education has released its comprehensive plan for returning to in-school, full-time instruction for the 2020-21 academic year, while Gov. Ned Lamont is cautioning that plans to allow bars to resume operations during the third phase of Connecticut”™s reopening may be further delayed.
During his daily briefing yesterday, the governor said he was “rethinking” the bars question, based on what is happening in other states that have allowed bars to reopen. Phase 3 is expected to be activated in mid-July.
On Sunday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered bars in several counties to close as that state has been one of many to see a spike in positive cases.
“COVID-19 is still circulating in California, and in some parts of the state growing stronger,” Newsom said in a statement. “That”™s why it is critical we take this step to limit the spread of the virus in the counties that are seeing the biggest increases.”
In Michigan, 107 positive cases have been traced to a bar in East Lansing as of Monday.
At least 16 states have paused or rescinded parts of their reopening plans due to a marked increase in coronavirus infections.
Lamont said he expects to comment further on reopening bars in Connecticut after the July 4 holiday.
Meanwhile, the state Education Department has released “Adapt, Advance, Achieve: Connecticut”™s Plan to Learn and Grow Together,” which provides additional details on how K-12 schools will operate upon reopening in August.
Among the directives: Desks inside of classrooms will face the same direction, and will be spaced 6 feet apart when possible; floor markings to maintain social distancing will be in place; masks must be worn by staff and students, unless prevented by a medical condition; and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines will be followed if a student or faculty member is diagnosed with the virus.
“Adapt, Advance, Achieve” program is based on six guiding principles:
Ӣ Safeguarding the health and safety of students and staff;
Ӣ Allowing all students the opportunity to return into the classrooms full time starting in the fall;
Ӣ Monitoring the school populations and, when necessary, potentially canceling classes in the future to appropriately contain COVID-19 spread;
Ӣ Emphasizing equity, access and support to the students and communities who are emerging from this historic disruption;
Ӣ Fostering strong two-way communication with partners such as families, educators and staff; and
Ӣ Factoring into decisions about reopening the challenges to the physical safety and social-emotional well-being of our students when they are not in school.
“Healthy schools translate to healthy communities, and the safety of our students, educators and school personnel remains the primary focus as we implement this plan,” Education Commissioner Miguel Cardona said in a statement. “Balancing the reopening of schools will require us to be flexible and prepare to adjust as needed.
“After consulting extensively with public health officials and our school communities,” he continued, “the evidence is clear that having students physically present in school greatly improves outcomes and our ability to provide for their academic and non-academic needs. I am confident we will come together stronger than ever to lead the evolution of education in Connecticut. ”˜Adapt, Advance, Achieve”™ is the first step.”
