SPM News 404 11.13.20
The Sioux City Community School District this week has 11 reports of positive COVID-19 cases from students that attended school, and 21 reports of positive COVID-19 cases from staff that attended school. The district moved several classrooms and one entire middle school to virtual learning this wee. East Middle School and Sunnyside Elementary each had one classroom go virtual, Morningside STEM Elementary had two classrooms closed down, and West Middle School will hold only virtual classes through November 25, the day before Thanksgiving.
Sioux City school board member Taylor Goodvin says he recommends the district move to a hybrid learning model between Thanksgiving and Winter Break. Goodvin posted his comments on social media late last night after the announcement about West Middle.
Two other members of the board Monique Scarlett and Perla Alarcon-Flory have previously advocated for hybrid learning. Sioux City Community Schools started the academic year with the two-day a week hybrid model.
Woodbury County today has 130 new cases of Covid-19, with a total of 8,913 since the pandemic began. There have been 105 deaths and no new deaths today. Woodbury County has a 23%, rolling, 14-day positivity average.
Iowa surpassed 5,000 new confirmed coronavirus cases for the first time in a single day as a surge in infections is sending more people to hospitals and pushing more schools to send student home for online classes.
In Nebraska, Gov. Pete Ricketts today outlined new and tighter health restrictions that he plans to impose if COVID-19 patients fill 25% or more of hospital beds.
If the number of patients hits that mark, he would limit indoor gatherings to 10 people and outdoor gatherings to 25 people. He would close bars except for delivery and take-out, hold wedding and funeral receptions to the 10-person limit and postpone any elective surgery that can be delayed.
