►
Description
Santa Clara County health and education officials release guidance on reopening schools this fall. This press conference was held on June 30, 2020.
Full Transcript: https://pastebin.com/p16zYvyf
School guidance: https://www.sccgov.org/sites/covid19/Pages/school-guidance.aspx
The City of Cupertino would like to express its thanks to the County of Santa Clara for the use of their video materials during the COVID-19 pandemic.
For more information regarding the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak in Cupertino, please visit https://www.cupertino.org/coronavirus
C
My
name
is
Britt
Earhart
I'm,
the
public
information
officer
for
the
Department
of
Public
Health
for
the
County
of
Santa
Clara
pleased
to
welcome
you
here
today
for
a
joint
announcement
from
the
County
Department
of
Public
Health
and
the
County
Office
of
Education.
We
have
three
speakers
today
but
before
I
introduce
those
speakers
want
to
explain
that
as
each
speaker
comes
to
the
podium,
you'll
see
them
remove
their
face
covering
and
that's
to
ensure
clear
communication
and
disability
accessibility.
C
We
appreciate
the
journalists
attending
today
maintaining
social
distancing,
and
we
also
appreciate
all
of
you
watching
on
the
livestream
maintaining
social
distancing
by
watching
from
home.
Thank
you
for
that.
So,
as
I
mentioned,
we
have
three
speakers.
Today.
First
up
will
be
dr.
Sarah
Cody,
dr.
Cody
is
health
officer
for
the
county
of
Santa
Clara
and
director
of
the
Public
Health
Department.
Dr.
Cody
will
be
followed
by
dr.
Mary
Ann
Diwan.
Dr.
C
D
Good
afternoon,
everyone,
thank
you
so
much
for
being
here.
As
Britt
Earhart
said,
my
name
is
dr.
Sarah
Cody
I'm,
the
health
officer
for
the
county
of
Santa
Clara,
and
it's
a
pleasure
to
be
back.
It's
nice
actually
to
be
in
person
socially
distance,
but
but
in
person.
So
today
we
are
partnering
with
the
County
Office
of
Education
to
announce
the
release
of
local
guidance
for
a
K
through
12,
public
and
private
schools.
D
In
order
to
facilitate
for
the
safe
reopening
of
schools
for
this
upcoming
20
2020
2021
school
year,
we
want
all
students
and
teachers
to
return
to
school
as
soon
as
possible
and
under
the
safest
possible
conditions.
Today's
guidelines
include
detailed
directions
for
schools
across
the
county
on
practices
that
can
reduce
the
risk
for
both
teachers
and
students
during
in-class
instruction
during
bus
transportation
recess
and
at
all
other
times
of
the
school
day.
D
Importantly,
this
guidance
recognizes
that
the
needs
of
elementary
school
children
are
different
than
the
needs
of
teens
in
middle
school
and
high
school,
and
the
guidance
provides
a
framework
than
can
be
adapted
to
keep
both
educators
and
students
of
all
ages
as
safe
as
possible.
The
guidelines
are
intended
to
help
school
administrators
and
others
put
the
necessary
structures
and
procedures
in
place
to
be
ready
to
be
to
reopen.
D
However,
whether
schools
can
move
forward
with
reopening
for
in-person
instruction
will
depend
on
the
containment
of
Cova
19
in
the
weeks
and
months
to
come,
as
I've
mentioned
before.
We're
monitoring
a
number
of
factors,
as
we
evaluate
next
steps
in
responding
to
this
pandemic,
including
our
latest
number
of
cases,
hospitalizations
and
deaths,
and
we
will
continue
to
do
so.
We
know
that
our
community
deeply
values
education
by
working
together
to
sip
press
this
virus
to
the
lowest
levels
of
possible.
We
can
all
contribute
to
our
schools
being
able
to
reopen
for
in-person
learning.
D
To
this
end,
we
want
to
strongly
encourage
everyone
to
strictly
follow
social
distancing
guidelines,
wear
face
coverings
and
do
their
part
to
protect
our
whole
community.
Now,
throughout
the
summer
and
beyond,
so
children
and
teachers
can
safely
return
to
school
and
stay
there
to
the
extent
possible.
D
Please
know
that
the
full
guidance
and
additional
information
for
schools
is
available
on
our
website,
I
believe
starting
today,
so
I,
just
like
to
close
by
acknowledging
the
hard
work
of
parents,
students,
administrators
staff
and
everyone
else
who
partnered
together
to
finish
out
this
last
school
year.
Virtually.
We
know
that
it's
not
not
been
easy,
we
really
care
about
students
and
their
education,
and
we
hope
that
the
guidance
that
we're
issuing
today
can
help
schools
prepare
to
welcome
their
students
back
to
campus
in
an
environment
that
is
as
safe
as
possible.
E
We
are
grateful
for
the
deep
partnership
with
the
county
of
Santa
Clara,
all
of
the
leadership
and
staff
who
partner
with
us
so
effectively
and
with
our
supervisors,
who
demonstrate
their
commitment
to
children
and
families
regularly,
especially
president
cindy
chavez.
Thank
you
so
much
for
being
with
us
today,
supervisor
Cortese's
Wasserman,
Alan,
Berg
and
submit'
Ian
from
the
first
shelter-in-place
order,
which
resulted
in
school
closures
that
lasted
through
the
remainder
of
the
2019
2020
school
year.
E
The
Santa
Clara
County
Office
of
Education
School
District
schools
and
staff,
worked
earnestly
together
to
support
students
and
families
through
a
very
challenging
time.
We
continue
to
learn
from
distance
learning
as
an
educational
practice,
and
we
can
use
that
learning
to
provide
meaningful
education
experiences
outside
the
classroom.
E
However,
it
also
put
a
spotlight
on
the
lack
of
digital
access,
equity
and
inclusion,
and
we
know
that
distance
learning
will
be
a
component
of
our
learning
for
the
long
term.
We're
grateful
for
the
partnerships
and
the
leadership
from
the
board
of
supervisors,
including
a
supervisor
courtesy
to
help
us
address
the
digital
divide,
and
we
know
that
distance
learning
is
not
an
equal
substitute
for
in-person
education.
E
We
encourage
the
implementation
of
an
education
model
that
recognizes
that
in-person
instruction
is
essential
to
supporting
the
academic
and
social
development
milestones
that
are
crucial
to
academic
progress.
While
we
can
and
must
continue
to
monitor
conditions
of
kovat
19,
we
cannot
know
yet
how
those
changing
conditions
will
affect
the
offerings
of
instruction.
This
fall.
We
know
that
there
are
academic
and
social
benefits
of
in-person
instruction.
E
Further,
the
new
Education
Code,
prompted
by
assembly
bill
77,
underscores
the
importance
of
in-person
offerings
and
the
important
balance
of
health
and
safety
of
students,
staff
and
community.
These
include
and
person
instruction
offers
teachers
opportunities
to
engage
with
students
in
real-time
to
provide
feedback
in
person.
Instruction
offers
students
the
ability
to
interact
with
peers
and
learn
from
each
other,
and
in-person
instruction
allows
students
who
do
not
have
access
to
digital
devices.
Internet
connectivity
to
engage
and
access
the
curriculum
and
address
potential
learning
losses
that
may
have
occurred
during
shelter-in-place.
E
We
will
continue
to
provide
students
with
meaningful
educational
experiences
and
essential
services
that
are
informed
by
the
safety
guidance
from
the
Department
of
Public
Health.
This
includes
ensuring
the
safety
and
well-being
of
all
students,
by
adhering
strictly
to
the
guidance,
including
enforcement
of
face
coverings
protocols
for
larger,
attended
classes
and
providing
access
to
distance
learning
options
for
students
for
whom
that
option
is
best.
E
The
guidance
provided
by
the
Public
Health
Department
will
allow
all
of
our
schools
to
plan
effectively
for
the
possibility
of
school
campuses,
offering
in-person
instruction
in
the
2020
2021
school
to
the
greatest
extent
practicable,
while
also
offering
remote
remote
instruction
as
necessary.
The
health
and
safety
of
students,
staff
and
community
remain
top
of
mind.
Schools
will
need
to
adhere
to
the
requirements
and
study
the
guidance
provided
by
the
Department
of
Public
Health
and
apply
them
to
their
local
conditions.
F
Well
good
afternoon,
everyone
and
I
am
really
honored
to
be
here
today
and
I
want
to
just
tell
you
a
little
bit
about
why
when
covet
19
hit
our
community,
there
were
many
many
organizations
and
institutions
that
stepped
up
right
away,
to
figure
out
what
they
could
do
to
help,
but
I
can't
think
of
a
single
organization.
Besides
the
Santa
Clara
County
Office
of
Education,
that
was
not
only
stepping
up
right-of-way
to
look
at
how
they
could
help
their
students,
but
the
families
of
their
students
under
dr.
F
de
Juan's
leadership,
the
31
school
districts
in
our
County
fed
and
continued
to
feed
many
many
families,
and
and
not
just
the
children,
but
their
families
as
well.
In
addition
to
that,
they
played
a
leadership
role
in
drawing
attention
to
something
that
we
already
knew,
but
really
is
a
crisis,
and
that
is
a
crisis
of
the
digital
divide.
The
county
of
Santa
Clara
last
week
took
an
action
to
provide
11,000,
Chromebooks
and
hotspots
to
children
throughout
Santa
Clara
County
that
do
not
have
access
to
the
Internet.
F
So
when
children
were
not
allowed
any
longer
to
go
to
school,
we
needed
a
tool
to
make
sure
children
could
keep
up
and
as
a
community,
as
dr.
Cody
said,
we
deeply
care
about
education
and
closing
the
schools.
I
think
was
a
probably
one
of
the
hardest
decisions
I,
although
dr.
Cody
has
had
many
that
she
had
to
consider
as
she
made
the
community
safe.
Here
is
my
message
to
you
all,
and
it's
really
in
two
parts
part
one.
F
We
want
more
than
anything
else
to
open
back
up
and
get
our
children
back
to
school,
but
what
that
requires
of
us
as
a
community
is
even
with
restrictions
easing
in
some
ways:
social,
distancing,
washing
your
hands
and
not
touching
your
face
and
really
sheltering
as
often
as
possible
and
having
as
little
contact
with
others
is
the
only
way
we
will
continue
to
fight
the
virus.
Dr.
F
Cody
has
made
it
clear
to
me
and
to
many
others
in
our
community
that
the
better
we
are
in
our
numbers,
the
less
people
that
we
have
that
are
kovat
positive,
the
less
people
we
have
in
our
Hospital,
the
more
PPE
that
we
have
available
in
case
of
an
emergency,
the
more
likely
it
is
that
every
one
of
our
children
will
get
back
to
in
the
fall.
This
requires
a
great
deal
of
responsibility
from
each
of
us
from
each
of
our
businesses
to
make
that
happen,
I
just
wanna.
This
is
my
second
message.
F
My
second
message
is,
it
really
has
been
always
up
to
us.
We
were
able
to
again
under
the
leadership
of
dr.
Cody
and
and
dr.
Dhawan
and
many
many
others
to
really
flatten
the
curve
in
this
part
of
the
country,
while
others
were
unable
to
do
that
and
we
saved
thousands
of
lives,
I
believe
that,
but
we
still
have
more
work
to
do
and
I
know.
F
People
are
tired
and
I
know
they
miss
their
families
and
I
know
parents
want
their
children
to
be
back
at
school,
we're
trying
to
create
as
many
safe
options
as
we
can,
but
we
it
the
control
of
what
happens
to
our
fate
can't
be
up
to
the
virus.
It
has
to
be
up
to
each
one
of
us
and
our
individual
behavior,
our
businesses
behavior,
and
how
we
really
really
with
kovat
19
for
some
time
to
come.
F
So
with
that
I'm
happy
to
stand
here
with
the
County
Office
of
Education
I
am
confident
in
the
protocols
that
they
are
putting
out
with
our
our
County
half
health
department,
because
I
have
a
lot
of
confidence
in
these
strong
smart
women,
but
also
I,
know
that
they've
really
put
pen
to
paper
and
thought
and
gotten
feedback
from
many
many
in
the
community
to
put
the
best
protocols
forward
the
safest
protocols
forward.
We
can
thank
you
for
letting
me
join.
You.
C
Thank
you
for
those
inspiring
comments.
President
Chavez,
at
this
time
we'll
have
the
opportunity
for
questions
for
dr.
Cody,
dr.
Diwan
and
president
Chavez.
Following
that
question-and-answer
session,
we
have
available
spokespeople
in
Spanish,
Vietnamese
and
Chinese
and
we'll
welcome
them
up
to
the
podium
after
the
Q&A
session.
I
did
want
to
mention
for
those
watching
on
the
livestream.
The
guidance
document
that's
being
discussed
today
is
now
live
on.
C
D
Thank
you.
A
hallmark
of
these
guidelines
is
flexibility.
So
if
the
school
wishes
to
implement
temperature
screening,
they
can
we
actually
are
not
requiring
it.
It's
a
consideration.
What's
most
important
is
that
students
are
screened
for
symptoms,
that's
much
more
likely
to
identify
a
student
or
staff
member
who
may
be
ill.
D
So
the
question
is:
how
soon
will
parents
know
about
the
first
day
of
school
and
I
want
to
amplify
some
of
President
Chavez
comments?
Who
you
articulate
things
so
beautifully?
I
would
say
that
that
is
really
up
to
us.
The
virus
has
done
a
great
job,
adapting
to
us
and
moving
in
stealth
fashion
through
our
community.
D
It
is
up
to
us
to
adapt
to
this
virus
and
to
do
everything
possible
to
suppress
the
levels,
the
better
that
we
do,
that,
the
more
sure
we
can
be
that
schools
can
safely
open
for
in-person
learning,
and
so
again
we
need
to
limit
the
amount
of
interaction
we
have
from
people
from
outside.
Our
household
always
wear
a
face
covering
always
be
at
least
at
least
six
feet
apart
and
wash
our
hands
frequently.
E
Additionally,
we
would
add
that
now
that
this
guidance
is
available
to
schools,
especially
the
sections
around
their
requirements,
for
how,
in
person
we'll
look,
schools
will
be
able
to
finalize
their
plans
and
will
be
able
to
end
the
very
near
term
share
with
parents.
What
schedules
and
opportunities
for
in-person
instruction
will
be
available.
That
information
will
be
shared
within
those
local
school
communities
in
the
coming
weeks.
E
It
we
have
asked
all
schools
to
use
that
information,
including
all
k12
public
charter
and
private
schools,
to
develop
their
plans
and
to
share
those
plans
with
parents
as
soon
as
possible.
That
is
not
a
guarantee
that
conditions
will
allow
us
to
reopen
in
person,
but
we
do
expect
schools
to
have
plans
for
in
person
to
the
maximum
extent
practicable
and
to
communicate
to
parents
what
those
plans
are,
what
those
schedules
will
be
in
the
event
that
we
can
reopen.
Thank
you.
E
The
question
was:
have
schools
been
asked
to
prepare
for
multiple
possibilities,
including
the
possibility
of
full
distance
learning
or
full
remote
learning?
And
yes,
indeed,
we
have
asked
all
schools
to
plan
for
the
possibilities
of
in-person
as
the
guidance
and
requirements
allow
that
could
include
a
hybrid.
Additionally,
we've
asked
schools
to
be
prepared
for
the
possibility
that
they
may
need
to
do
full
distance
or
remote
learning,
either
at
the
start
of
the
school
year
or
temporarily,
due
to
temporary
school
closures
or
long-term,
should
our
conditions
worsen
in
Santa
Clara
County.
Thank
you.
C
E
Love
that
question
it's
a
it's
a
great
way
to
help
people
visualize,
so
a
couple
of
things
that
will
parents
should
be
expecting
and
that
students
might
find
different.
The
first
thing
is
that
there
will
be
more
social,
distancing
and
physical
distancing
as
children
enter
schools.
At
the
elementary
level,
there
will
be
an
expectation
for
stable
core
cohorts,
which
might
mean
that
some
classrooms
will
need
to
remove.
Furniture
desk
will
be
in
rows
facing
the
front
so
that
they're
not
facing
each
other
children
and
staff
will
be
wearing
face
coverings.
E
C
D
Thank
you.
We,
we
have
learned
quite
a
bit
about
Kovan
since
the
beginning
of
the
pandemic.
When
we
closed
schools,
the
the
working
hypothesis
was
that
this
virus
was
a
lot
like
flu,
and
we
know
that
when
kids
get
the
flu
in
school,
that
it
spreads
and
more
of
us
in
the
community
get
it
as
well.
What
we're
learning
so
far
with
Co
vyd
is
that
young
children
aren't
sort
of
the
engines
of
transmission
as
they
are
with
flu.
D
D
So,
there's
a
few
principles
that
we
lay
out
in
the
guidance
and
I'll
just
go
over
them
briefly
for
younger
children
in
elementary
school.
The
framework
is
really
around
what
we
call
stable
cohorts.
So
you
really
want
to
keep
those
kids
together
with
their
teacher.
We
also
strongly
recommend
that
they
wear
a
face,
mask
and
stay
apart
as
much
as
possible,
but
we
know
that
young
children
are
young
children
and
that
might
not
be
as
possible,
so
they're
in
stable
cohorts.
We're
also
given
what
we're
learning
about.
D
Co
vyd
know
that
they're
probably
less
likely
to
spread
it
among
themselves
and
to
their
teacher
not
to
say
that
they
can't
but
less
likely,
in
contrast,
like
a
high
schooler,
probably
more
like
an
adult
in
and
being
able
to
spread
the
virus
and
so
they're
the
principal
that's
most
important
is
that
high
schoolers
wear
face
coverings
all
the
time,
that's
a
requirement
and
maintain
that
social
distance
from
each
other.
All
the
time
also
a
requirement,
and
so
those
classrooms
will
need
to
be
set
up
a
bit
differently
than
elementary
school
classroom.
D
The
question
is
about
how
much
children
are
contributing
to
the
pandemic
and
how
much
will
reopening
of
schools
have
an
impact
on
the
pandemic,
and
the
answer
is
in
this
country.
We
don't
know
yet.
We
have,
however,
developed
guidelines
with
the
best
science
that
we
have
to
make
schools
as
safe
as
they
can
be,
and
we've
also
committed
ourselves
to
continual
learning
and
changing
the
guidelines
as
we
need
to
to
ensure
that
everyone
is
as
safe
as
possible.
Mm-Hmm.