As nonpublic schools prepare to reopen — a day after Gov. Larry Hogan announced that state data suggest it is safe — Montgomery County Health Officer Dr. Travis Gayles met with school leaders on Friday to discuss legal requirements to do so.
During the virtual meeting, attended by about 175 private school leaders, Gayles detailed the new guidance Hogan released Thursday afternoon that outlined when counties can let schools reopen. The metrics are:
• The local positivity rate is less than 5% for at least seven consecutive days
• The local caseload is less than five per 100,000 people maintained for at least seven consecutive days.
On Friday, Gayles clarified that the data Hogan cited is to measure when schools can fully reopen. He said there are different metrics — not discussed during Thursday’s state press conference with Hogan — that guide when schools can reopen for part-time in-person instruction.
The positivity rate should be less than 5%, but there can be between five and 15 cases per 100,000 people, according to Gayles and a copy of the state guidance.
The governor’s communications office did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Friday afternoon.
In Montgomery County, the test positivity rate was 2.4%, as of Friday, and there were about 6.5 cases per 100,000 people, Gayles said. So, under the state guidance, Montgomery County schools — public and private — could have a mix of in-person and remote classes.
“By definition, based upon the guidelines … we have not met the criteria to safely go back to 100% of reopening,” Gayles said, adding that it’s important to also consider neighboring counties’ and state data when making reopening decisions.
Dr. Earl Stoddard, the director of Montgomery County’s Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, added during Friday’s meeting: “The state of Maryland does not believe it is appropriate for schools in Montgomery County to go back fully. They would suggest schools could do a hybrid, based on the criteria they established.”
Gayles has repeatedly said he does not believe it is safe for schools to reopen in any capacity this fall.
Montgomery County Public Schools is holding classes virtually through the fall semester, according to its most recent plan.
During Friday afternoon’s call, Gayles explained the importance of notifying the county if a staff member or student tests positive or shows symptoms consistent with COVID-19. That information allows professionals to conduct thorough contact tracing, which could stop the spread of the virus, Gayles said.
Schools can have their own contact tracing teams, but those teams should not provide guidance about who should quarantine or what remedial actions the school should take, he said.
Gayles and Stoddard answered dozens of questions during the call, including how school leaders can help make contact tracing easier for the county and if they have to post their reopening plans on their website. Another question was about best practices for notifying community members of a positive case in a school.
Stoddard urged schools to be open and transparent during the contact tracing process because “it’s not our intent to release information beyond what is absolutely necessary to protect public health.”
Schools should either have parents check their child’s temperature before coming to school or school officials should check children’s temperatures before allowing them into the building, Gayles said.
But, he cautioned, many people have asymptomatic cases — a positive test, but no COVID-19 symptoms.
“So you can’t get comfortable and think that screening will keep COVID-19 out of your schools,” Gayles said. “You’re not eliminating risk — you’re hopefully reducing it.”
Caitlynn Peetz can be reached at caitlynn.peetz@moco360.media