SUMMARY: Children and teens with Covid pouring back into the hospital and Florida has broken another record for COVID cases (23,903) in a 24-hour period, another grim benchmark of the highly contagious delta variant. The purpose of this petition is to make sure that kids and parents have an option to choose e-learning (remote) through HCPS (Hillsborough County Public Schools) for 2021 academic school year similar to the year 2020. During a global pandemic, we support a virtual return rather than a physical return to our school buildings in August 2021. This issue affects kids safety and has the potential to spread coronavirus across immunocompromised kids and adults in Hillsborough county, which could lead to loss of lives. Proactive approach is better than reactive approach when it comes to kids safety and health. We need change now.

PROBLEM STATEMENT: Currently HCPS is planning to open 2021 academic school year on 10th August 2021 for in person learning. Kids cannot be put at risk as Florida is emerging as the new hot spot (15,000+ cases per day, 144% increase in 14 days) for the deadly delta variant corona virus (see link0 in Resource section). According to a projection, Florida could report 83,000 new cases by 9th August 2021 (see link1 in Resource section).  From 1st August 2021 NY times, “After many months of zero or few pediatric Covid cases, we are seeing infants, children and teens with Covid pouring back into the hospital, more and more each day,” she wrote, adding that patients have ranged in age from 2 weeks to 17 years old, including some with Covid pneumonias".(see link2 in Resource section). As of 2nd August 2021, the Sunshine State leads the nation in another alarming coronavirus statistic: Kids hospitalized with COVID-19. Florida had 32 pediatric COVID-19 hospitalizations per day between July 24 and 30, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Florida Department of Health reported 10,785 new COVID-19 infections among children under 12 between July 23 and 29 (see link3 in Resource section). Infectious diseases experts say a greater focus on airborne transmission is needed to manage the spread of delta variant and “Fleeting contact” is an accurate descriptor that underlines the airborne nature of the virus, says Prof Nancy Baxter, head of the University of Melbourne’s school of population and global health (see link11 in Resource section). Scientists believe the Delta variant is being transmitted up to 60 percent faster than the Alpha variant, which was thought to spread between 50 and 90 percent quicker than the original strain that hit in 2019. Experts think the COVID-19 Delta variant is much more contagious than the flu and chickenpox, and on par with the measles (see link9 in Resource section). Therefore, the push for students and teachers to participate in in-person learning at the beginning of the school year 2021 amounts to the following statement: We know this is unsafe for staff and students and we know that some people will get very sick as a result. Every parent want to ensure their kids safety and health first before anything else including education. Kids under 12 also should be treated as unvaccinated due to unavailability of vaccination for that age group. Kids with weaker immune system are at greater risk with freedom to choose mask executive order (see link4 in Resource section). Unknowingly, kids can transmit coronavirus to immunocompromised (see link5 in Resource section) parents and other elderly person in their family which could lead to a disaster that could be prevented at first hand.

MESSAGE TO HCPS BOARD MEMBERS AND SUPERINTENDENT: We kindly request our HCPS leaders to "do the right thing considering kids safety" by rolling up their sleeves and do whatever it takes to open school through e-learning for academic year 2021, and keep e-learning until it is safe as per guidance from medical experts. During this unprecedented pandemic period, parents and kids should have the option to choose e-learning depending on their family circumstances. Thank you.

RESOURCE LINKS: 0) https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/us/florida-covid-cases.html 1) https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/coronavirus/fla-forecast-to-report-more-than-83-000-new-cases-of-covid-per-day-by-aug-9 2) NY times : https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/08/01/world/covid-delta-variant-vaccine 3) https://www.tampabay.com/news/health/2021/08/02/florida-leads-the-nation-in-kids-hospitalized-for-covid/?fbclid=IwAR2h4v7g2X-RiV7eGg8IhzR3L0u31_5SgDbKuTJ44Dxt38yVV0vCp5H3wHw 4) https://flgov.com/2021/07/30/governor-desantis-issues-an-executive-order-ensuring-parents-freedom-to-choose/ 5) https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/crypto/gen_info/infect_ic.html 6)  https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/8/2/florida-breaks-record-for-daily-covid-19-hospitalisations  7) HCPS : Hillsborough County Public School (https://www.hillsboroughschools.org/ 8) Similar petition for Require Masks in Hillsborough county public schools : https://www.change.org/p/require-masks-in-hillsborough-county-public-schools-in-fl?expired_session=true 9) https://www.healthline.com/health-news/cdc-says-delta-variant-as-infectious-as-chickenpox-what-to-know-now 10) https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2021/08/01/1023396466/florida-new-covid-case-record) 10) 11) https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/jun/24/its-in-the-air-you-breathe-what-you-need-to-know-about-sydneys-delta-covid-variant  12) https://www.miamiherald.com/news/coronavirus/article253335513.html