Public Health addresses backlog and school waivers

Public Health addresses backlog and school waivers

Two elementary schools are waiting for the green light for on campus learning in Kern County and Public Health is addressing the backlog in cases as well as sharing some new changes they are making Thursday night.

OR DESERT.TWO ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AREWAITING FOR THEGREEN LIGHT FOR ON CAMPUSLEARNING IN KERN COUNTY ANDPUBLIC HEALTH IS ADDRESSING THEBACKLOG IN CASES AS WELL ASSHARING SOME NEW CHANGES THEYARE MAKING TONIGHT.23ABC'S TORI COOPER WAS AT THEWEEKLY PUBLIC HEALTHPRESS BRIEFING.

SHE JOINS USLIVE FROM THE HEALTH DEPARTMENTWITH THE TAKE AWAYS FROM TODAYSMEETING TORI?YEA JESSICA THE PUBLIC HEALTHDEPARTMENT IS FINDING NEWWAYS TO TRACK THOSE WHO THEYHAVE BEEN UNABLE TOCONTACT ABOUT THEIR COVID-19DISEASE TONIGHT-BUTWITH MANY ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS NOWAPPLYING FOR ONCAMPUS LEARNING WE ARE ALSOGETTING A SMALL PEAKINSIDE THEIR PLAN TO HELP TOKEEP STUDENTS SAFE..THURSDAY PUBLIC OFFICIALSANNOUNCED THAT THE BACKLOG INCASES TAKING PLACE ACROSS THESTATE HAS BEEN RESOLVEDLOCALLY..("HEARD FROM THE STATE THAT THEYHAVE RESOLVED MOST OF THOSEISSUES,"PUBLIC HEALTH ADDRESSED THENUMBER OF CASES LOCALLYTHAT WERE IMPACTED BY THEBACKLOG- BUT WITH THE ISSUERESOLVED, KERN COUNTY LEADEPIDEMIOLOGIST KIMHERNANDEZ..SAYS THEY ARE MOVINGFORWARD.."WE DID RECEIVE ABOUT 1,000 CASESOVER THAT WEEKEND THAT HAD SORTOFBACK LOGGED IN THAT ELECTRONICLABORATORY REPORTING SYSTEM,THAT WEEKEND THOSE HAVE ALL BEENPROCESSED AND WE ARE CONTINUINGTOMOVE FORWARD."HOWEVER, HERNANDEZ SAYS THEY ARESTILL HAVING TROUBLEGETTING IN TOUCH WITH MANYPATIENTS WHO INITIALLY TESTEDPOSITIVE FOR COVID-19.AND NOWPUBLIC HEALTH ISCREATING A NEW CATEGORY JUST FORTHEM.("THE CATEGORY WILL INCLUDE PEOPLEWHO ARE PRESUMED TO HAVERECOVERED ANDPRESUMED TO HAVE BEEN RELEASEDFROM ISOLATION BASED ON THE TIMEIT HAS BEENTHAT THEIR SPECIMEN WASCOLLECTED THAT RESULTED IN APOSITIVE TEST."HERNANDEZ WENT ON TO SAY THEYLIKELY EXPECT THAT MOST OFTHESE INDIVIDUALS WILL BE FROMOUR LOCAL SKILLEDNURSING FACILITIES.ANOTHER ISSUE OF CONCERN THEFUTURE FOR STUDENTSRETURNING TO CLASS ON CAMPUS -OFFICIALS SAYINGA NUMBER OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOLSARE LOOKING INTO THEWAIVER-"MORE THAN 20 ELEMENTARY SCHOOLSHAVE EXPRESSED INTEREST,WE HAVE RECEIVED TWO COMPLETEDAPPLICATIONS THAT WE AREREVIEWINGCURRENTLY."OF THE 20 SCHOOL THAT EXPRESSEDINTEREST -HERITAGEELEMENTARY AND GIDEON ACADEMYHAVE ALREADY COMPLETED THEAPPLICATION PROCESS.

HERITAGETOLD 23ABC THEY HADTO TALK TO THEIR ATTORNEY BEFORECOMMENTING ONTHEIR ROLL OUT PLAN-MEANWHILEGIDEON ACADEMY DID SHARE PARTOF THEIR PLAN FOR ALL 16 OFTHEIR STUDENTS WITH 23ABC.."IN THE CLASS ROOM WE HAVE OURSTUDENT DESK SPACED APART ANDTHEIR BARRIES IN BETWEEN THEM,"GIDEON ACADEMY ADMINISTRATORANICETO HERNANDEZ SAYSTHERE WILL BE 8 STUDENTS TO ACLASS- DURING RECESS STAFFWILL BE ENFORCING SOCIALDISTANCINGAMONG STUDENTS UNLESS THEY AREFROM THE SAME HOUSEHOLD.STUDENTS WILL ALSO BE REQUIREDTO WEAR A MASK.STUDENTS DON'T HAVE A MASK WILLBE PROVIDED WITH ONE .NOW IF STATE AND LOCAL OFFICIALSAPPROVE THE PRIVATE SCHOOLACADEMY, ON CAMPUS LEARNING WILLBEGIN ON AUG.24.THIRD THROUGH SIXTH GRADE AREGOING TOBE WEARING THEIR MASK THEY WEARTHEM WHEN THEY ARE IN THE CLASSANDWHEN THEY ARE NAVIGATING THECLASSROOM BUT WHILE THEY ARE ATTHEIR DESK AND IF THEY AREHAVING DIFFICULTY BREATHING THEYCANREMOVE THEM AT THEIR DESK.."NOW ALL 16 PARENTS AT GIDEONACADEMY HAVE SAID THEYARE SENDING THEIR KIDS BACK TOSCHOOL IF THE STATE AND LOCALHEALTH OFFICIALS APPROVE THEIRSTART DATE..BUT WE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITORTHE STATUS FOR BOTHELEMENTARY SCHOOL APPLICATIONSWITH PUBLIC HEALTHOFFICIALS..AND WE WILL BRING YOUTHE VERY LATEST ON THAT DECISIONLIVE..NOW TO AN