By Andrea Hargraves 
São Paulo – Ignoring science recommendations, São Paulo Governor, João Doria, and the Mayor of the capital, Bruno Covas, both of the PSD, have decided to return to direct lessons starting next week, even with the entire country in the red phase to quarantine against covid-19. However, the US Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) protocol, for example, considers returning to classrooms face-to-face a high risk of transmission and outbreaks when the number of new daily cases is more than 100 per 100,000 population. In São Paulo, today that number stands at 505 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.
The CDC also considers that for a safe return to school, the rate of positive tests for covid-19 should not exceed 10% of all tests taken. Today, Sao Paulo scored 34.24% of positive results on COVID-19 tests. The Duryeh government also announced the vaccination of teachers and other education personnel, with the aim of expanding support for the resumption of classes, but before the announced school reopened, almost no teacher had been vaccinated. It is expected that the first vaccination will take place tomorrow (10), but vaccination is effective only 14 days after the second dose. That is, from mid-May.
Wrong replacement
In its first attempt to return to school, on February 5, São Paulo was in the yellow stage and recorded 343 new daily cases per 100,000 residents. The schools were able to receive up to 35% of students per shift, but only received 600,000 students out of the 3.3 million students who could resume activities. However, Government registered periodically 4,084 confirmed cases and 24,345 suspected cases of covid-19 in schools, with 21 people dead. Union of Public Education Teachers of the State of Sao Paulo (Monkey) He objects to the number and says there are 67 deaths.
According to the Epidemiological Bulletin of the Education Information and Monitoring System for Covid-19 (Simed), 33 cases of covid-19 infection were recorded in São Paulo schools in the first three weeks of January – less than 1% of the total. In Return-to-School Planning Week, January 26-29, when the Duryea government forced teachers to go to school, 82 cases were reported. Cases then doubled, to 1,130 confirmed cases, in the week of February 28 to March 6. The total number of injuries reached 4,084, which clearly indicates that it was not safe to return to school.
Go back to school with a risk
These cases do not take into account those that occurred back to school in the municipal network of the capital of São Paulo, Record 854 outbreaks of covid-19 in schools. Outbreaks are records of two or more simultaneous cases of COVID-19 in schools. Not all of the state’s 645 municipalities were also included, as at least 100 cities did not resume classes in February.
Additionally, although there is consensus that schools are not places for high transmission of the covid-19 virus itself, returning to school increases the spread of people. Be among the group of education professionals, especially teachers – who rarely work in just one school – as well as the students themselves, as well as the people involved in transporting students.
In private and municipal schools in the capital, back to school can begin as early as next Monday (12). In public schools, classes will resume on Wednesday (14). At present, face-to-face activities are not mandatory for students, who must continue to perform online activities. The student limit per shift remains 35%. The government periodically says that priority will be given to students with a high learning disability, without access to the distance education system, and who need to eat at school and whose parents work in basic services.
Lack of respect
The chief of Apeoesp, State Deputy Professor Bebel (PT), considers that in addition to endangering workers and students, the Doria government is not respecting justice by limiting back to school. On March 9, Judge Simon Gomez Rodriguez Casoretti of the Ninth Public Finance Court in the capital decided that the government of Doria Teachers and other education personnel cannot be forced back to school In schools without epidemic control.
According to the decision, as long as the red or orange stone stages are in effect, Apeoesp’s education professionals and five other class unions in the state cannot be invited to conduct face-to-face activities. How far does this government’s contempt go to life? Does something go to satisfy the interests of the private schools with which it is frustrated? We will not allow you to go back to lessons face to face. The sentence is explicit and fully enforceable: There can be no face-to-face classes and activities in public, municipal and private schools in the red and orange phases and as long as there is no vaccination for all education professionals, ”Bebel said.
Stone
As of Monday, the entire state of São Paulo You will advance to the red quarantine stageAfter four weeks in the emergency phase. The new phase does not bring much flexibility, as only basic services operate. In addition, some strategies from the more restrictive phase will be incorporated into the new phase, such as curfews between 8 pm and 5 am, and the suspension of religious services and the main office for administrative activities. There has been a decrease in new admissions, but 11 districts in the state still have more than 90% of beds in the intensive care unit (ICU).
a Occupancy rate for the intensive care unit In the state is 88.3%. However, of the 17 districts of the state, 11 have ICU occupations above 90%: Araçatuba (90.7%), Araraquara (93.4%), Barretos (98.3%), Bauru (92.6%), Franca (91.3%). ), Marilia (94.4%), President Proudente (98.1%), Ribeirao Preto (90.3%), São João da Boa Vista (94.2%), São José Rio Preto (92.3%), Sorocaba (90.3%). The rest is higher than 84% of ICU occupancy: Baixada Santista (87.6%), Campinas (86.6%), Greater São Paulo (87.2%), Piracicaba (89.8%), Scoring (84%) and Tupati (84.6%). All indicators are the red stage.