Gov. Jim Justice noted today that it’s been 179 days since he ordered schools closed because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“So today is a really, really important day,” Justice said on the first day back in classrooms for many West Virginia students. “We need to keep everyone as safe as we possibly can, but our kids need to go to school.
Most but not all of West Virginia’s classrooms reopened this morning and welcomed back students.
“We were able to celebrate today 46 counties that were able to open up in person,” said state Superintendent Clayton Burch. “We’ve said from the beginning, our children need to be in school.”
However, nine of 55 remained on remote.
“I know with all in me that our parents want our kids back in school,” Justice said in during a briefing today.
“The problem is as simple as this: If our health experts deem us by a color code system or whatever it may be that it is not safe to go back to school then what do you do?”
But some parents are asking why schools are closed by the system but not other parts of communities such as bars or churches.
Forty-six of West Virginia’s counties resumed in-class instruction today. But students in Monongalia, Kanawha, Fayette, Putnam, Logan, Mercer, Mingo, Monroe and Wayne did not.
That’s because those counties were either on orange or red as depicted by a color-coded map at 9 p.m. Saturday.
The map is based on daily confirmed covid cases, adjusted for 100,000 population. For counties with fewer than 16,000 residents, the calculation is a 14-day rolling average. Higher population counties are based on a 7-day rolling average.
Removed from the equation were residents of nursing homes and inmates in jails, with state leaders saying their contribution to community spread is minimal.
Green is 3 or fewer cases per 100,000. Yellow is 3.1 to 9.9 cases
Orange is 10 to 24.9 cases. Red is 25 or more.
During today’s briefing, MetroNews asked some questions posed by parents whose children are still being kept out of classrooms.
They wanted to know why the map seems to be based so few factors. And they wanted to know if the map has too many unintended consequences: “Punishes counties that test. Only affecting kids while life rages on. Using them as a carrot is improper.”
One mother wrote on social media, “Ask him why the churches are still open. He just discussed all the outbreaks. Why are they picking on schools? Why not close gyms, churches, casinos, day cares?”
Justice responded that he does not intend to be punitive toward students. Instead, he said, he wants to protect students, teachers and staff in counties where community spread is significant.
The governor said he has to defer to health experts to do that.
“They’re right on everything except one thing, and that is, holding these children as pawns in a game. That’s ridiculous. Nobody wants to go back to school more than I do. Nobody wants to give parents choice more than I do,” Justice said.
Justice said he was glad to get the questions, though.
“I hear you, and your input is valuable to us,” the governor said.
Coronavirus response coordinator Clay Marsh said the coronavirus pandemic has made this an unprecedented time. Marsh said state leaders are trying to focus on factors in communities that are contributing to the virus spread. For example, officials have shut down bars in Monongalia County multiple times already.
“What are those key elements in a particular community that may be at the root of contributing to spread?” Marsh asked.
He said the intent of the color-coded map is to try to keep communities healthy.
“The map we’ve published isn’t really a school map; it’s a public health map,” Marsh said.