Some Schools are Keeping Coronavirus Cases Quiet

As schools reopen or opt for distance learning during the pandemic, information on case numbers or the spread of coronavirus in kept quiet in some places.

Georgia, where schools opened in early August and then many had to close due to rising case numbers, does not require masks for residents. One school district administrator sent out a confidential email saying that students should not be alerted if a teacher or staff member tests positive for the virus.

In Florida, parents, students, and teachers received calls from state officials saying they may have been exposed, but they could not confirm cases or quarantine with local school officials.

Some districts have provided daily emails on case counts or quarantine numbers. But in most cases where numbers are under wraps, governors are trying to keep case counts low or are following the guidance of President Trump. Both Florida and Georgia governors are Republican. “When schools have to shut down after students test positive, that doesn’t look good politically on governors and lawmakers who have advocated for opening up,” said Clay Calvert, director of the Marion B. Brechner First Amendment Project at the University of Florida.

But experts say hiding numbers could be more damaging than sharing them. Dr. Ashish Jha, director of the Harvard Global Health Institute, told the New York Times, “If schools don’t notify, it actually can make disease control more difficult. And it’s not like no one will know. Word will get out through a rumor mill. You don’t scare people by telling them what’s going on. You scare them by hiding information.”

Read more about protecting yourself from coronavirus. Check the CDC website for more information on how to protect yourself and check our latest article to learn how COVID-19 differs from the flu.

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