THE CDC TOLD SCHOOL DISTRICTS
NATIONWIDE LAST WEEK TO OPEN
SCHOOLS SAFELY AND AS SOON AS
POSSIBLE. SO WHEN WILL HAWAII
PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS BE FULLY
BACK ON CAMPUS?
GINA MANGIERI IS ALWAYS
INVESTIGATING AND REPORTS ON
WHAT HAS AND HAS NOT HAPPENED IN
HAWAII SINCE NEW FEDERAL
GUIDELINES CAME OUT.
LOWEST RISK OF TRANSMISSION IN
THE NEW CDC SCHOOL GUIDELINES,
BUT THE STATE DEPARTMENTS OF
EDUCATION AND HEALTH HAVE YET TO
UPDATE THE
REOPENING PLAN. SOME SAY THE
STATE SHOULD TARGET A FULLY
IN-PERSON ON-CAMPUS FOURTH
QUARTER.
HAWAII'S PUBLIC SCHOOLS HAVE
BEEN FOLLOWING A MATRIX SINCE
LAST YEAR THAT SET
LEARN-FROM-HOME, BLENDED OR
IN-PERSON
CLASS BASED ON AVERAGE NUMBERS
OF CASES PER 100,000 AND
POSITIVITY RATES -- BOTH OF
WHICH HAVE BEEN DROPPING
STATEWIDE.
LAST WEEK THE CDC TOLD SCHOOLS:
"IT IS CRITICAL FOR SCHOOLS TO
OPEN AS SAFELY AND AS SOON AS
POSSIBLE, AND REMAIN OPEN, TO
ACHIEVE THE BENEFITS OF IN-
PERSON LEARNING AND KEY SUPPORT
SERVICES."
SEN BRIAN SCHATZ-"IT'S A VERY
BIG DEAL. WHAT THEY ARE SAYING
IS THAT IT IS SAFE TO OPEN THE
HAVE VERY LOW COVID. AND THE
TRUTH IS THAT WE HAVE VERY LOW
COVID."
SO LOW THAT ALL OF THE ISLANDS
NOW QUALIFY FOR WHAT THE CDC
SAYS IS THE SAFEST BLUE ZONE
WITH A LOW RISK OF TRANSMISSION.
BUT THE HAWAII EDUCATION AND
HEALTH DEPARTMENTS ARE STILL
USING THE OLDER PARAMETERS.
KEMBLE TOLD ME THE CDC GUIDANCE
IS BEING REVIEWED TO SEE IF
HAWAII SHOULD CHANGE ITS
GUIDANCE...AND IF SO, IN WHAT
A DOE SPOKESPERSON SAYS IT'S
USING MULTIPLE SOURCES TO
CAMPUS SAFELY...AND RIGHT NOW
74% OF STUDENTS STATEWIDE ARE
SOME SAY WE COULD SAFELY GET TO
100% ALL ON CAMPUS AND SOON.
LOIS YAMAUCHI, PARENTS FOR
PUBLIC SCHOOLS-"FAMILIES ARE,
AND CHILDREN ARE SO EXCITED TO
COME BACK TO SCHOOL. SO IT'S
VERY HOPEFUL.
AND I THINK PEOPLE ARE VERY
HAPPY TO SEE FOLKS GETTING
VACCINATED, INCLUDING TEACHERS."
NEARLY 6,000 OR MORE THAN HALF
OF TEACHERS GOT THEIR FIRST OR
SECOND VACCINE DOSES AND
THOUSANDS MORE APPOINTMENTS
ARE LINED UP. MEANWHILE OTHER
SCHOOLS IN THE PRIVATE AND PRE-K
SECTOR HAVE BEEN IN SESSION IN
PERSON FOR NEARLY A YEAR.
SCHATZ-"WE HAVE PRIVATE SCHOOLS
PRESCHOOLS OPEN FOR THE MOST
PART. AND NEITHER OF THOSE
THINGS HAVE
CAUSED SPIKES IN CASES. YOU'VE
OPEN FOR THE MOST PART. SO THIS
IS DOABLE. I'M NOT SAYING IT'S
EASY."
THE TEACHERS UNION PRESIDENT
SAID
TEACHERS CONCERNS WILL NOT BE AS
HIGH ARE MORE OF THEM GET
VACCINATE SO SCHOOLS WILL BE
SAFER TO OPEN." BUT ADDS THAT
SINCE NOT EVERYONE CAN GET
VACCINATED...THERE STILL NEEDS
TO BE DISTANCE LEARNING OPTION.
EDUCATION ADVOCATES ARE PUSHING
FOR A NEW REOPENING PLAN SOONER
THAN LATER
RAY L'HEUREUX, EDUCATION
INSTITUTE OF HAWAII-"WE ARE IN
AGREEMENT, AND THIS IS TEACHERS
IN THE GROUP AS WELL, THAT,
LET'S LET'S GO
ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT THIS
VIRUS, OR THIS PANDEMIC IS GOING
TO BE WITH US FOR A WHILE, JUST
DEAL WITH IT. SO THEREFORE,
LET'S, LET'S START OVER AND SAY,
OKAY, HOW WILL WE DEAL WITH
THIS? AND HOW DO WE GET KIDS
BACK IN SCHOOL? I DON'T THINK
THERE'S A PLAN."
SENATOR SCHATZ TELLS ME HE'S
LG, HEALTH DIRECTOR,
SUPERINTENDENT AND TEACHERS
UNION TO MOVE FORWARD.
GINA MANGIERI-"CAN THIS BE
PULLED OFF TO COME BACK TO
SCHOOL FULLY IN PERSON AFTER
SPRING BREAK?"
SCHATZ-"I DON'T KNOW. BUT I
THINK IT'S A GOOD GOAL. AND I
THINK THAT WE SHOULD, AS THEY
SAY, GET CAUGHT TRYING. LET'S GO
FOR IT. LET'S TRY TO
LISTEN VERY DEEPLY AND CAREFULLY
TO PARENTS WHO MAY HAVE
RESERVATIONS. LET'S LISTEN TO
THE BEST
PUBLIC HEALTH SCIENCE ON THIS
QUESTION. BUT WE AT LEAST OWE IT
TO THESE CHILDREN TO EXPLORE
THIS POSSIBILITY AGGRESSIVELY."
GINA MANGIERI, KHON2 NEWS,
ALWAYS INVESTIGATING.
JOE:
AN OAHU GRAND JURY HAS INDICTED
TRAVIS RODRIGUES FOR THE MURDER
OF HIS 18-MONTH
OLD DAUGHTER, KY-TANA ANCOG.
THIS, AS THE FAMILY PLEADS FOR
THE PUBLIC'S HELP IN FINDING THE