COVID and the LAPS

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Richard Skolnik

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Jun 16, 2022, 10:48:09 PM6/16/22
to Public....@laschools.net, Jose Delfin, Antonio Jaurigue, Melanie Colgan, Ellen Ben-Naim, Erin Green, Christine Bernstien, Richard Skolnik
June 16, 2022

Dear Dr. Delfin and the School Board:

I write about the LAPS’ approach to COVID.

First, I hope the LAPS and the Board are aware that Los Alamos County has been going through a major viral surge. Our rates of new infections have been rising since May 21 and, since then, have largely been higher than at any time except for three weeks during the Omicron surge. Yesterday, we still had the 33rd highest rate of new infections out of all 3,143 counties or county equivalents in the US.

In this light, I was disappointed that the LAPS sponsored a number of end-of-school year events that appeared to take little account of high viral transmission in the community and were likely associated with increasing viral spread. These events could have been carried out in a safer way, despite the political constraints that you face.

The same problem occurred recently, in conjunction with Safety Town. I was happy yesterday to see that the LAPS and the LAPD collaborated on Safety Town. Nonetheless, the second photo here (https://losalamosreporter.com/2022/06/15/safety-town-celebrates-102-graduates/) suggests that the LAPS still fails to understand as completely as it should the costs of viral spread in the community and how its events could be held more safely. It shows an indoor event, with windows and doors apparently closed, with few people masking, and many people sitting close together.

Dealing with pandemics is not what school systems "trained for." However, the LAPS should always seek to ensure that it has done what it can to minimize viral spread from events with which it is associated.

For quite some time, the LAPS did an excellent job at mitigating COVID. Although the LAPS has recently taken some further mitigation measures, such as masking in summer school, I hope the LAPS can return quickly to the higher quality approach to COVID in which it earlier engaged.

As a longstanding global health professional, I brought such concerns privately to the LAPS several times in May. However, at this time, I am obliged to also bring them to the attention of the School Board and the community as a whole.

Regards,

Richard Skolnik













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