Under Control

As we enter the worst of a devastating new wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, it is imperative that as many students as possible are able to safely remain in school, for myriad reasons — educational, social, economic, psychological.

Achieving that goal will require community commitment to best practices: wearing masks in public, avoiding unnecessary indoor social interaction with people not in your immediate family, and having family members tested even when they show the slightest of symptoms.

On the South Fork, the school districts have done an admirable job of instituting safety measures to keep both students and staff safe during this unprecedented time. In this region, with the exception of a few outliers, many districts have reported just a handful of COVID-19 cases — it appears schools are not a place where COVID-19 is being spread en masse, and that safety protocols are largely working.

As of Friday, November 20, the Montauk School District has reported two staff members and one student who tested positive since late August. In the Amagansett School, no cases have emerged. Nearby in Springs, just two cases have been reported. Wainscott has had two staff members test positive since September 8, and in Sagaponack none have been reported.

Sag Harbor Schools have reported five cases, and the Bridgehampton School has had three cases, as had Tuckahoe. Southampton has had five cases, Quogue has reported none, with nearby East Quogue reporting two cases in its elementary school, and Westhampton Beach schools showing six cases, according to the state dashboard.

The East Hampton School District has seen the most cases locally: 19 in its high school, many connected to an ill-advised indoor party, plus two in the middle school and 12 in elementary school grades, for a total of 33 cases. Hampton Bays has also seen a spike, with two cases in the elementary school since early September, 16 cases in the high school, and seven in the middle school, for a total of 25.

But, largely, the number of cases is under control. Some districts, like Springs, one of the few districts that has only had in-person instruction two days a week for its early learners, are trying to find ways to increase class time, and for good reason. Research is very clear that in-person education is critical for social and emotional health, and the reality is that many parents rely on public school for child care during the workday. Keeping children in school, when it is safe, must be a top priority.

The state is going to begin enforcing tougher measures, including school shutdowns, when higher infection levels are reported. It is essential that the state look at places like Suffolk County in micro-clusters, rather than as a whole county, when looking at a potential shutdown.

So far, that has been the strategy, and it appears to be successful. County officials must work with the state to ensure this is how our region is assessed, particularly given the dramatic changes in density and population as Suffolk County move west to east. An outbreak in Brentwood should have no effect on Montauk schools, and vice versa.

Lastly, keeping places like bars and gyms open while school districts shut down is a case of misplaced priorities. Places where super-spreading is occurring — at gatherings — should be dealt with and shut down long before our schools, which for the most part have proven to be some of the safest places for children outside of our own homes.