HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution No. 2021-11COUNTY COUNCIL
COUNTY OF KAUA'l
1',esolution No. 2021-11, Draft 1
RESOLUTION URGING IN-PERSON EDUCATION TO RESUME FOR
GRADES K-12, INTERSCHOLASTIC SPORTS COMPETITIONS,
ORGANIZED YOUTH SPORTS, AND ADULT RECREATIONAL SPORTS
FOR THE STATE OF HAWAI'I
WHEREAS, the Hawai'i Department of Education schools closed in-person
education and suspended all interscholastic sports competitions in March 2020 to
minimize the potential of SARS-CoV-2 community spread and due to the unknown
potential impacts on children from SARS-CoV-2 in the early days of the pandemic;
and
WHEREAS, the American Academy of Pediatrics reports that, "It appears that
children younger than ten years are less likely to become infected and less likely to
spread infection to others, although further studies are needed."; and
WHEREAS, the Centers for Disease Control reports that "Based on the data
available, in-person education in schools has not been associated with substantial
community transmission"; and
WHEREAS, a recent article in the Journal of the American Medical
Association written by three Centers for Disease Control researchers states that "The
preponderance of available evidence from the fall school semester has been
reassuring" and that "There has been little evidence that schools have contributed
meaningfully to increased comm unity transmission"; and
WHEREAS, the American Academy of Pediatrics cites growing evidence of the
negative impacts on children due to school closures in 2020, including widening
educational disparities for minority groups and children in poverty along with
increased emotional and behavioral distress; and
WHEREAS, the American Academy of Pediatrics states that m-person
education in schools plays a fundamental role in academic instruction, child and
adolescent development, social and emotional skills, safety, reliable nutrition,
physical/occupational/speech therapy, mental health services, health services,
physical activity, racial and social equity, as well as the critical importance for
families to have safe child care options; and
WHEREAS, the American Academy of Pediatrics' website states that
"re-engaging in sports activity with friends has both physical and psychological
health benefits for children and adolescents," which "allows youth to improve their
cardiovascular health, strength, body composition, and overall fitness"; and
WHEREAS, the American Academy of Pediatrics' Guidance on Safe Schools
strongly advocates that, "All policy considerations for school COVID-19 plans should
start with a goal of having students physically present in school."; and
WHEREAS, the Centers for Disease Control advocates that, "K-12 schools
should be the last settings to close after all other mitigation measures in the
community have been employed, and the first to reopen when they can do so
safely. Schools should be prioritized for reopening and remaining open for in-person
instruction over nonessential businesses and activities."; and
WHEREAS, the Centers for Disease Control states that, "Vaccinating teachers
and school staff can be considered one layer of mitigation and protection for staff and
students," and Kaua'i is well into phase lb of the vaccination distribution, which
includes teachers and school staff; and
WHEREAS, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Centers for Disease
Control, and the Hawai'i State Department of Health all cite the importance of basing
re-opening strategies on the degree to which SARS-CoV-2 is spreading in a
comm unity; and
WHEREAS, the County of Kaua'i has among the lowest rates of SARS-CoV-2
transmission in the United States; and
WHEREAS, the Hawai'i State Department of Health's school guidance metric
shows Kaua'i as the only island in Hawai'i that can safely move to full-time in-person
education for both elementary and secondary schools; and
WHEREAS, the Centers for Disease Controls New Indicators and Thresholds
for Community Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 show that Kaua'i's case count is in the
lowest risk category, which puts us in the threshold labeled "K-12 schools open for
full in-person instruction" along with sports and extracurricular activities; and
WHEREAS, the Centers for Disease Control urges that safe in-person
education requires universal and correct use of masks, physical distancing,
handwashing, contact tracing, cleaning and maintaining healthy facilities, and
ensuring adequate ventilation; and
2
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE COUNTY OF KAUA'I,
STATE OF HAWAI'I, that it gratefully supports school teachers and recognizes their
perseverance and commitment to mitigating adversity through the constant
challenges brought on by SARS-CoV-2.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that it also supports the work that teachers do
in educating our children, promoting racial and social equity, and helping to ensure
a strong and vibrant economy by providing safe child care options and enabling
parents to attend work.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that it urges Hawai'i Department of Education
superintendents, principals, and teachers to follow the Centers for Disease Control,
the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Hawai'i Department of Health's
guidance to resume full-time in-person education for K-12 as long as Kaua'i's
SARS-CoV-2 case count remains within the Centers for Disease Control and the
Hawai'i Department of Health's metrics for safe openings.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that schools should adhere to all of the
mitigation strategies recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and the
American Academy of Pediatrics, such as universal masking, adequate distancing,
cohorting, and proper ventilation, to reduce the potential of SARS-CoV-2
transmission.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that as long as Kaua'i remains in the Centers
for Disease Control low transmission blue category for community spread, that
outdoor sports and extracurricular activities should resume.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that it urges the Governor to create a task force
to establish protocols to safely resume organized youth sports and adult recreational
sports in Hawai'i.
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that a certified copy of this Resolution shall be
transmitted to United States Senator Brian E. Schatz, United States Senator Mazie
K. Hirono, United States Representative Ed Case, United States Representative
Kaiali'i Kahele, Governor David Y. Ige, Lieutenant Governor Josh Green, Senate
President Ronald D. Kouchi, Representative Daynette "Dee" Morikawa,
Representative Nadine K. Nakamura, Representative James Kunane Tokioka, and
Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami.
3
Introduced by: Isl MASON K. CHOCK
Isl LUKE A. EVSLIN
V:\RESOLUTIONS\2020-2022 TERM\Resolution In-Person Education -Sports Draft l.docx
l&pe
<!Carbalbo X
<!Cbock X
<!Cohlben X
i!leQJ::osta X
<IEbslin X
1!anesbiro X
1!uali'i
W::otal 6
~ap QExcuS'el:J
X
0 1
lB.ecuS'el:J
0
QCertifftatt et aboption
We berehp certifp tbat 1'-esolution JFl,o. 2021-11, Draft 1
bms abopteb hp tbe <!Council of tbe QJ::ountp of 1!aua'i, ~tate of
1!}altlai'i, 1Libu'e, 1!aua'i, 1!}altlai'i, on February 24, 2021.
~c
i!lateb February 24, 2021
4