We are incredibly grateful that our children have the opportunity to return to school for the 2021-2022 academic year. We also want to keep our children safe and in school by limiting outbreaks. And we want to prevent schools from shutting down once again. 

Contra Costa County Schools are implementing FEWER Covid safety protocols than this past Spring. Social distancing and outdoor masking is no longer required. However, we are now facing the Delta stain which is 60% more transmissible* and community transmission is 497% higher.**  Pediatric hospitalizations are at the highest point in the entire pandemic but our school district has relaxed the protocols since Spring. We need more safety protocols in place. Not fewer. 

How can we proactively keep our kids safe and prevent school/class shutdowns? 

The ASK:

A Proactive Screening Testing Plan for when community transmission is high. According to a recent study, elementary schools that implement both masking and weekly testing is expected to result in 50% less infections than with masking only.

The Contra Costa County Health Department has not implemented any preventative testing plan despite both the CDC and State's recommendation:

"CDC recommends schools maintain at least 3 feet of physical distance between students within classrooms to reduce transmission risk. When it is not possible to maintain a physical distance of at least 3 feet, such as when schools cannot fully re-open while maintaining these distances, it is especially important to layer multiple other prevention strategies, such as screening testing."

We have neither physical distancing nor screening testing.

Screening plans could include: periodically testing 10% of the staff, teachers and students; testing after school breaks; regularly testing unvaccinated staff/teachers.

Please sign the petition as it take a village to keep all of our children and community safe. And to keep classes from having to shut down. 

* Public Health England report / **Contra Costa Health Services - The 7-day rolling average of new cases per day was 64 on May 1 vs. 351 as of July 28.