Health and Safety Weekly Update

As we prepare the Health and Safety Report for the past week, I am reminded of where we were back in March and how far we have come. I know when you look at the big picture, it may seem that we have not gotten that far at all. I hear much about “pandemic fatigue” and I can understand why as we are coming into the 9th month of this pandemic along with the holidays approaching it would be odd not feeling fatigued. Unfortunately, I have no crystal ball, but will be looking for a crack in the pavement to get us back on track with in-person learning. We have hit the highest reported RT in New Jersey since August 1st when it was 1.48. At this moment, it does not appear that we are going in the right direction. As you saw from our daily COVID Report we had 4 positive cases of students in our schools yesterday alone. Last week, we had 11 cases in the schools (albeit all were not in the schools - if they were it could have easily caused that up and down closure situation that comes with case transmission within schools.

At this time, we are working to bring back the Remote Learning Centers. These centers will be housed in your home school. Principals are working with families to bring back the original RLC students to their buildings for a start that could be as soon as Monday, November 23rd. Once we have those students back in place, we will begin to work towards getting more students into the schools if it is feasible.

We remind parents as an additional tool to join us at our Parent Academy Fall Series on Social Emotional Learning. Our next workshop entitled “Elementary Aged Organization and Executive Functioning Skills” will be virtual on Monday, November 23rd at 7:00 p.m. Participants will have the opportunity to explore what the SEL competency “self-management” means for their elementary aged students. Please click here for registration information.

In closing, I just wanted to remind everyone with the holidays upon us that families might be traveling out of state. As I do not know at this time when we will be opening for in-person learning, some children might be in the buildings attending the Remote Learning Centers. Please remember that if you travel out of state over the break, that your child cannot return to the buildings until he/she quarantines for 14 days.

Be well South Brunswick!

Scott

Regional Rating

(Latest Published Results)

Yellow - Moderate

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SqoRjCq6zGX-k10Sh0eiiGHYyFy0RiQZS7oUMVKPRZk/edit

Number of cases (last 7 days) in South Brunswick

http://nixle.us/CBSL8

37

Number of school aged cases (last 7 days) in South Brunswick

6

Number of Students and Staff in Buildings (Daily Average)

1,422

Number of students/staff sent home during the day with symptoms

1 staff/1 student

Number of COVID confirmed cases reported to the schools

6 student/5 staff

Athletics Reporting Over a 6 day period (HS & MS)

Athletics Reporting (Daily Average)

159 athletes/20 coaches (daily average)

Number of athletes/coaches sent home during the day with symptoms

1 athlete

(Was the contact of a family member that tested positive.)

Number of athletes not able to follow health and safety directions

0 athletes

State Transmission Rate (most current reported)

1.42

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/documents/topics/NCOV/COVID_19_Report_Week_45.pdf

Regional Positivity Rate (Central East)

6.92

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/documents/topics/NCOV/COVID_19_Report_Week_45.pdf

Regional Case Rate (Central East)/100,000 residents

18.69

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/documents/topics/NCOV/COVID_19_Report_Week_45.pdf

Statewide School Outbreaks/Middlesex County
(the State uses the term "outbreak" when a minimum of

two cases independent of each other are in a school)

51 statewide/1 outbreak/3 linked cases in Middlesex County

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/covid2019_dashboard.shtml

What guidance exists at this time:

• INDOOR GATHERINGS -Indoor gatherings will be dropped from 25 to 10 people and outdoor gatherings from 500 to 150 people . This will affect house parties and other indoor gatherings such as holiday dinners and events.
• Current indoor limits on weddings, funerals, movie theaters, performances, religious services, with a maximum of 150 people - will remain.
• INDOOR SPORTS -The state recently banned all indoor interstate organized sports up to the high school level. Indoor dining will also remain limited to 25% capacity.
• OUTDOOR SPORTS - practices and games, there will 150-person limit that includes players, coaches, team personnel, and officials. This means the number of spectators allowed will be lower than 150.
• RELIGIOUS SERVICES - Indoor religious services and celebrations, political activities, weddings, funerals, and memorial services, and performances in New Jersey will continue to be limited to 25% of capacity but with a maximum of 150 people. Outdoor religious and political activities will continue to have no limit.
• DINNING - Indoor dining will also remain limited to 25% capacity.
• The CDC recently modified their definition of a close contact. New definition is now “A person who spent 15 minutes or more within a 24-hour period and was within 6 feet of a person who is infected with COVID-19. Exposure must happen while the infected person is infectious (2 days before onset to 10 days after)”
• COVID Alert NJ is NJ's free and secure mobile app that anonymously alerts users if they have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive.
• For information and considerations for events and gatherings for holiday celebrations and safety, follow the link to the CDC holiday page: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/holidays.html
• Free Drive-Thru Flu Shot Clinics - In order to help keep its residents safe and continue to practice social distancing, Middlesex County Office of Health Services will be offering drive-thru flu clinics beginning Wednesday, October 28th. This is a free service being offered to all Middlesex County residents ages 6 months and up that meet a set of criteria. To learn more about how to get your free Flu Shot, upcoming clinic dates, and tips on how to fight the flu this year, residents can visit: http://www.middlesexcountynj.gov/flu
• Food and alcohol will not be permitted to be served inside establishments after 10:00 p.m. but restaurants can continue outdoor service past 10:00 p.m.

• East Brunswick School District - will be fully remote until January 11th, 2021.
• Woodbridge School District - Elementary Schools in person on case by case basis. High schools and 4 out of 5 middle schools on fully remote instruction.
• Plainfield School District - Remote until January 29th, 2021
• Piscataway School District - will continue all remote all of November and December and will implement hybrid learning January 11th.
• Mount Olive School District - is returning to all-remote learning for at least seven weeks, starting on Nov. 23, in an attempt to slow the spread of COVID-19 in the community.
  

Self-reflection effectiveness rating (1-4)

3

Effective Rating Rubric

Incidents of student or parent non-compliance

1 staff