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Schools mitigate spread as COVID-19 cases pop up
Josh Cascio reports
TAMPA, Fla. - School coronavirus plans are already being put to the test. Across the Bay Area, there are small numbers of cases in schools showing up almost on a daily basis.
To get an idea of what schools are facing from their first day alone, FOX 13 checked with each district that has committed to providing data to see how many cases were logged.
Two weeks ago Pinellas, Pasco and Polk all had their first day of classes.
Pinellas: 6 cases between students and staff on day one.
Pasco: 1 case reported the next day.
Polk: 1 case which has become at least 29 now.
And Hillsborough went back to school Monday, logging six cases according to its dashboard. District officials say, however, only two of those actually made it on campus.
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The question yet to be answered is, can districts -- with all their best-laid plans in place -- keep new cases from multiplying and forcing schools to shut back down?
“We’re completely in control about the mitigating practices we're taking to combat COVID 19,” insisted Hillsborough County superintendent Addison Davis.
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“This is why trends are important: Are we seeing just a case here and there or a couple cases a day, or are we starting to see the beginning of an uptick?” said Dr. Marissa Levine, a public health expert from USF.
She points out, it doesn’t take much for COVID-19 to go from an ember to a full-on forest fire. That’s why masks, social distancing and other practices are so important she says, especially in schools.
“We will see how good that works if we don’t see this exponential increase,” she added.