Andy Young: COVID hits home

Early last week while walking down the halls of the school where I teach, I encountered a genial co-worker who greeted me with, “How’s it goin’?”

Ordinarily that throwaway question requires a response of no more than one sentence; often just a word suffices. But last week was different.

The day before had begun routinely enough. I had gotten up at a decent hour, eaten breakfast, put in a load of laundry, and polished off several other mundane household chores. I also checked my email, which included daily bulletins updating the status of the coronavirus pandemic in two different school districts. The memo that came from the superintendent of schools where I teach contained nothing new, but closer to home the story was radically different. That update stated local schools would be closed for a week because of a rash of COVID cases. My 15-year-old son, who like many of his age and gender is less than enthralled with high school these days, seemed rather pleased by the news.

Shortly thereafter I took the still-giddy lad out to do some shopping at a local store we both frequent, he for ridiculously expensive music, me for 50-cent used books. However, I had barely begun to browse when he came over to me, looked at his phone, and said in an uncharacteristically concerned voice, “Daddy, I think we might have to go home soon.” Barely two minutes later he returned with an urgent, “I have to get home NOW!”

It seemed one of the just-identified COVID-positive cases at his high school had been found to have 83 “close contacts,” and my son had just received a text message informing him he was one of them. He was instructed to go into quarantine immediately.

We both went into research mode at that point. How long was he to sequester himself? Did he need to be tested? And if so, how soon, and where? Did I (and other members of our family) need to be tested? Could I continue to go to work, or even venture outside of our home, without putting others at risk?

While my son explored the internet, I consulted a more reliable source of information: I emailed my school’s nurse. Since it was a Sunday there was no guarantee she’d get my message before the next morning, but she responded within an hour, providing us with a wealth of information about what to do, where to do it, how to go about doing it, and who to contact about doing it. She also told me to get back to her if and when I needed anything else.

Until recently I had assumed the job of a school nurse was limited to monitoring attendance, appropriately dispensing prescription meds, and tending to anyone on the premises who wasn’t feeling well. In retrospect, the scope of my ignorance regarding her responsibilities was breathtaking. The current reality: all school nurses are frontline warriors against a deadly enemy, and are as heroic as any police officer, firefighter, or member of the military. That the nurse at my school is empathetic, uber-competent, and bend-over-backward kind is an added bonus.

My son’s COVID test was negative, so for the time being my family is coronavirus-free, they aren’t food insecure, and their dad has a secure job he likes. Hopefully before long going mask-less in public without endangering one’s self or others will be acceptable, or maybe even become the norm again. Bottom line: for the foreseeable future, my response to “How’s it goin’?” is going to be, “I’ve got no complaints.”

Because the reality is, I don’t. <

Patrick Corey and Jessica Fay: Keeping the Lake Region healthy

 By Rep. Patrick Corey and Rep. Jessica Fay

Back in Late June we participated in a forum organized by the Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce. Over the past few years, the Lakes Region Delegation has come together to listen to the concerns of our local businesses and to talk about how we can work together to promote sustainable economic development in our communities. While the conversation this year focused on how businesses can be resilient and manage through the COVID 19 pandemic, the sense of cooperation had a similar feel because when the chips are down, we do what Maine people do, work together and take care of each other. In the Legislature, we often work together in a bi-partisan way in order to find policy solutions that work for the Lakes Region and are glad that this work can continue outside of Augusta.

The Department of Health and Human Services has made grant money available to municipalities and to local organizations through the “Keep Maine Healthy” initiative. These funds allow communities to do public outreach and education about public health and what steps we can all take in order to protect our health and the health of our community members. We were not surprised when out of the June forum conversation came a collaboration between the local chamber, local towns like Raymond and Windham, Windham Economic Development, and others. You may already be seeing signage and public service announcements.

We are so proud of all of the creative ways that local businesses have found to comply with the CDC guidance to keep us all safe. From installing barriers at checkout counters, to continually sanitizing high touch areas, to instituting one-way aisles and occupancy limits, these measures can be a resource intensive investment. Our community has always done what it can to support small business and we know that customers will recognize how important it is to support businesses that are taking the health and well-being of all of us to heart. Our number of COVID cases in the area has been low— As of Aug. 11, there have been 69 probable and confirmed cases in Raymond and Windham—and many have taken steps to keep it that way. If you are a business with questions about how to be safe, you can reach out to the Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce or Maine’s Dept. of Economic and Community Development, your local municipality or one of us.

Our region’s people have done an amazing job keeping our numbers down. Your vigilance and care for others over the past months has made it possible for many businesses to open up, even with hurdles and challenging cash flows. Your willingness to follow the guidelines that businesses have been given has helped them push through. Thank you.     

As we move forward through this together, we will continue to look for ways to support local small businesses and our communities so that we can survive and thrive in this changing economy. We’re hopeful that this will end soon, but know that with constituents like you, we’ll get through this. We welcome your thoughts and ideas.

Rep. Patrick Corey (part of Windham), patrick.corey@legislature.maine.gov, 207-749-1336.

Rep. Jess Fay (part of Casco, Poland and Raymond), jessica.fay@legislature.maine.gov, 207-415-4218.

 

 

 

Mark Bryant: Masking up as we return to school

By Representative Mark Bryant

As we settle more comfortably into August and look ahead to September, the question of what school will look like in the fall is on the forefront of most parents’ minds. All of Maine has been designated “green” for returning to in-person instruction. That means all communities, Windham included, have the option to return to school if we can meet the health and safety guidelines established by the Maine CDC and other public health experts.

While all counties are currently in the green classification, county classifications will be reassessed every two weeks. As we know, even the virus' effect on communities in Cumberland County has varied, so districts will not be bound to their county classification. Each district is working with their Collaborative Planning Teams (CPTs) to develop at least three separate models -- fully in-person, hybrid or fullt remote -- in order to initially implement the model each district deems appropriate based on current health data. 

Just last week RSU 14 Superintendent Christopher Howell recommended a hybrid model for initially returning to school. This is scheduled to receive a vote from the RSU 14 board on Aug. 19 and is not yet the final guidance. However, it is useful to look at this proposal as we think about the logistics required for returning to school. The proposed hybrid model would group students alphabetically with last names from A to K having in-person classes in school on Mondays and Wednesdays and those with last names from L to Z attending in-person classes in school on Tuesdays and Thursdays. On the days when students are not in school, there will be check-in online with their teachers.

Aside from employing this mixed approach, other safety measures must also be taken while students and teachers are in the building. Part of this means that kids will be properly physically distanced and that students and teachers will be required to wear a mask at all times per Executive Order 6. I have already heard from several parents and concerned members of the community regarding this mask requirement. I understand the fears and concerns expressed. My fifth grandchild was born just a few months ago. My other four are between the ages of three and twelve. I know how difficult it is to get them to sit still, let alone wear a mask. However, these are the steps that are necessary in order to continue to safely reopen our economy and return to some semblance of normalcy.

I am not an educator or a child development specialist or a medical practitioner, but I know that experts in those fields have been involved in the decision-making process as we seek to navigate how best to reopen our schools and daycare facilities. Every day we are learning more about this virus, about how it spreads, who it impacts and what long term consequences of having contracted the virus entail. What we have learned is that wearing a mask is one of the most valuable tools we have in combating the spread of COVID-19. I know it feels uncomfortable to watch your child wear a mask. It’s not something we are used to seeing and that can cause fear. But right now, masks are one of our best ways to manage the spread of this virus, and the more we slow the spread, the more lives we save, the sooner we will be able to shift back to normal and the sooner we will get our economy back on track.

COVID-19 will not disappear. It will linger and embed itself in our society the same way the common cold, flu and chickenpox have. But this time the effects are deadlier, and recoveries often leave lasting damage. We must collectively acknowledge that we will have to keep up our focus and remain committed to some admittedly inconvenient practices until vaccines and therapies are developed and widely distributed. That means social distancing, wearing masks and washing our hands regularly.

Rep. Bryant is serving in the Maine House of Representatives, representing part of Windham in House District 24. He is a member of the Joint Standing Committee on Transportation and the Joint