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Parents Work on the Front Lines. Where Do Their Children Go All Day? Parents Work on the Front Lines. Where Do Their Children Go All Day?
(2 months later)
Though New York City public schools are closed, 9-year-old Trayvon Lee spent the day inside a school building on West 93rd Street in Manhattan.Though New York City public schools are closed, 9-year-old Trayvon Lee spent the day inside a school building on West 93rd Street in Manhattan.
“We are washing our hands all the time,” Trayvon said as his mother picked him up on Tuesday. “I just washed my hands before I left.”“We are washing our hands all the time,” Trayvon said as his mother picked him up on Tuesday. “I just washed my hands before I left.”
He attended one of New York City’s 93 new “regional enrichment centers,” located in schools across the city — part of a new program designed to provide free child care for those on the front lines of the pandemic.He attended one of New York City’s 93 new “regional enrichment centers,” located in schools across the city — part of a new program designed to provide free child care for those on the front lines of the pandemic.
Life was upended for millions of children in New York earlier this month when private and public schools closed to slow the spread of the coronavirus. But this week, thousands of public school students whose parents work in public health jobs returned to classrooms inside the centers.Life was upended for millions of children in New York earlier this month when private and public schools closed to slow the spread of the coronavirus. But this week, thousands of public school students whose parents work in public health jobs returned to classrooms inside the centers.
The program, which opened on Monday and has so far enrolled roughly 8,000 children, provides a space where students can do class work at spaced apart desks, eat three hot meals a day and learn how to protect themselves from the virus.The program, which opened on Monday and has so far enrolled roughly 8,000 children, provides a space where students can do class work at spaced apart desks, eat three hot meals a day and learn how to protect themselves from the virus.
New York’s schools — the largest public school system in the country, with 1.1 million students 750,000 of whom are poor, provided not just education but recreation, meals, and sometimes laundry. The enrichment centers are an attempt to compensate for some of what has been lost while the schools are shuttered. It is a major social experiment for the city.New York’s schools — the largest public school system in the country, with 1.1 million students 750,000 of whom are poor, provided not just education but recreation, meals, and sometimes laundry. The enrichment centers are an attempt to compensate for some of what has been lost while the schools are shuttered. It is a major social experiment for the city.
“We’ve never done something like this before,” said Miranda Barbot, a spokeswoman for the New York City Department of Education. “We’ve made these centers available to thousands of families who need them, and are serving all of the ones who’ve said that they do.”“We’ve never done something like this before,” said Miranda Barbot, a spokeswoman for the New York City Department of Education. “We’ve made these centers available to thousands of families who need them, and are serving all of the ones who’ve said that they do.”
Many of the buildings, whose hallways burst with students during more normal times, were quiet on Tuesday.Many of the buildings, whose hallways burst with students during more normal times, were quiet on Tuesday.
But the city said enrollment is expected to grow after eligibility was expanded on Wednesday to include employees of grocery stores and pharmacies, as well as those who work for city agencies including the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the New York City Housing Authority.But the city said enrollment is expected to grow after eligibility was expanded on Wednesday to include employees of grocery stores and pharmacies, as well as those who work for city agencies including the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the New York City Housing Authority.
On Friday, Mayor Bill de Blasio said not as many students had enrolled in the program as “we would have expected.”On Friday, Mayor Bill de Blasio said not as many students had enrolled in the program as “we would have expected.”
He attributed that to the general fear and confusion of life amid a pandemic, as well as the large numbers of people staying home from work, which offered some parents other child care options. Either way, he said, there was “certainly plenty of room” at the centers.He attributed that to the general fear and confusion of life amid a pandemic, as well as the large numbers of people staying home from work, which offered some parents other child care options. Either way, he said, there was “certainly plenty of room” at the centers.
“They’re there for essential workers,” he said. “So, here’s what it comes down to — so long as the essential worker, if they’ve got a better arrangement, that’s fine. We just need to support them to make sure they can show up and doing the lifesaving work they’re doing.”“They’re there for essential workers,” he said. “So, here’s what it comes down to — so long as the essential worker, if they’ve got a better arrangement, that’s fine. We just need to support them to make sure they can show up and doing the lifesaving work they’re doing.”
Still, some found the sight of near-empty classrooms to be jarring. A cafeteria worker at one center at P.S. 125 in Harlem, where the playground was empty and the halls were pin-drop quiet, said school employees far outnumbered children on Tuesday. Over the course of nearly an hour, only one child could be seen when her mother arrived to take her home.Still, some found the sight of near-empty classrooms to be jarring. A cafeteria worker at one center at P.S. 125 in Harlem, where the playground was empty and the halls were pin-drop quiet, said school employees far outnumbered children on Tuesday. Over the course of nearly an hour, only one child could be seen when her mother arrived to take her home.
“There are barely any kids in there,” said the cafeteria worker, who declined to be publicly named because she was not authorized to speak to the news media. “One classroom might have just one kid in it, one classroom might have three kids, most of the classrooms have no kids.”“There are barely any kids in there,” said the cafeteria worker, who declined to be publicly named because she was not authorized to speak to the news media. “One classroom might have just one kid in it, one classroom might have three kids, most of the classrooms have no kids.”
A similar scene could be found at an enrichment center at P.S. 19 in the Corona section of Queens, where employees said between five and 10 students showed up on Tuesday. At another center on West 120th Street in Harlem, a security guard said the school was mostly empty.A similar scene could be found at an enrichment center at P.S. 19 in the Corona section of Queens, where employees said between five and 10 students showed up on Tuesday. At another center on West 120th Street in Harlem, a security guard said the school was mostly empty.
Ten or so children played at a center in South Williamsburg, Brooklyn, on Tuesday, according to Beruska Vazquez, a nurse at a hospital in Brooklyn whose three children were enrolled in the program there.Ten or so children played at a center in South Williamsburg, Brooklyn, on Tuesday, according to Beruska Vazquez, a nurse at a hospital in Brooklyn whose three children were enrolled in the program there.
She said the program did exactly what it was designed to do: It allowed her to keep going to work while her children — two girls and a boy — were not in school.She said the program did exactly what it was designed to do: It allowed her to keep going to work while her children — two girls and a boy — were not in school.
“It’s good because at least I could go to work and get paid for it,” said Ms. Vazquez. She said she would keep her children enrolled in the program “until I can come up with something else.”“It’s good because at least I could go to work and get paid for it,” said Ms. Vazquez. She said she would keep her children enrolled in the program “until I can come up with something else.”
One of her daughters, Nayaliz, 11, said children at the enrichment center were prodded to stay six feet apart, and “everyone was washing their hands.” She said the students did school work all morning, but spent all afternoon in art and physical education classes.One of her daughters, Nayaliz, 11, said children at the enrichment center were prodded to stay six feet apart, and “everyone was washing their hands.” She said the students did school work all morning, but spent all afternoon in art and physical education classes.
“In normal school we work all the time,” she said, grinning.“In normal school we work all the time,” she said, grinning.
A similar scene played out at the enrichment center on West 93rd Street. The lobby bustled with activity as volunteers sorted supplies and used contactless thermometers to take visitors’ temperatures, although fewer than 20 students were enrolled there, according to Sonia Jimenez, a school nurse working at the center.A similar scene played out at the enrichment center on West 93rd Street. The lobby bustled with activity as volunteers sorted supplies and used contactless thermometers to take visitors’ temperatures, although fewer than 20 students were enrolled there, according to Sonia Jimenez, a school nurse working at the center.
Updated June 5, 2020
So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement.
A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study.
The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April.
Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission.
Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid,” says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “When you haven’t been exercising, you lose muscle mass.” Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home.
States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people.
Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks.
Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days.
If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.)
Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications.
The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing.
If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others.
If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested.
“As you can see from the size of the building, we could take a lot more than that,” she said. “People are just now waking up to the fact that this is here, and so I think we will see a lot of people starting to get their kids registered.”“As you can see from the size of the building, we could take a lot more than that,” she said. “People are just now waking up to the fact that this is here, and so I think we will see a lot of people starting to get their kids registered.”
The enrichment centers are staffed by volunteers from the department of education’s staff, and Ms. Jimenez said she had been eager to sign up to help medical workers and others “who can’t go to work until they know they have someone to take care of their children.”The enrichment centers are staffed by volunteers from the department of education’s staff, and Ms. Jimenez said she had been eager to sign up to help medical workers and others “who can’t go to work until they know they have someone to take care of their children.”
“I was a latchkey kid when I was young, but I don’t think you could train a kid today to be like we were back then,” she said. “It is a whole different world now.”“I was a latchkey kid when I was young, but I don’t think you could train a kid today to be like we were back then,” she said. “It is a whole different world now.”
Monique Forbes, a nurse at a medical office in Harlem, said she enrolled her son, Trayvon, in the center on West 93rd Street on Monday.Monique Forbes, a nurse at a medical office in Harlem, said she enrolled her son, Trayvon, in the center on West 93rd Street on Monday.
Trayvon would normally spend days off from school with his grandmother, Ms. Forbes said. But because his grandmother has a compromised immune system, that was not a viable option during the pandemic. She said work had been “crazy.”Trayvon would normally spend days off from school with his grandmother, Ms. Forbes said. But because his grandmother has a compromised immune system, that was not a viable option during the pandemic. She said work had been “crazy.”
“When I am at work, I really want to be there, but I also have to take care of my child,” Ms. Forbes said. “This program is a big help, I don’t know what I would do without it.”“When I am at work, I really want to be there, but I also have to take care of my child,” Ms. Forbes said. “This program is a big help, I don’t know what I would do without it.”
She said she had been impressed with the center’s anti-coronavirus measures, which included spacing out the children’s desks, taking their temperatures each day and leading them through frequent hand washing.She said she had been impressed with the center’s anti-coronavirus measures, which included spacing out the children’s desks, taking their temperatures each day and leading them through frequent hand washing.
Time spent with even a small group of their peers has provided a social outlet for young people who might otherwise suffer from cabin fever. Ms. Forbes said the program’s start on Monday induced first-day-of-school anxiety in both her and Trayvon, which was an almost welcome distraction from coronavirus.Time spent with even a small group of their peers has provided a social outlet for young people who might otherwise suffer from cabin fever. Ms. Forbes said the program’s start on Monday induced first-day-of-school anxiety in both her and Trayvon, which was an almost welcome distraction from coronavirus.
“He was a little nervous because he’d be in a school with a lot of new kids, and I was nervous because you’re just thinking about him all day, how is the first day going and everything,” she said. “I felt like I did when he was 3 and going to school for the first time, it was all of that all over again.”“He was a little nervous because he’d be in a school with a lot of new kids, and I was nervous because you’re just thinking about him all day, how is the first day going and everything,” she said. “I felt like I did when he was 3 and going to school for the first time, it was all of that all over again.”
But Trayvon said the program had so far been going well.But Trayvon said the program had so far been going well.
“It is kind of better than normal school because we don’t do all the same things we usually do,” he said. His one complaint was that most of the students were girls, although a few boys enrolled on Tuesday.“It is kind of better than normal school because we don’t do all the same things we usually do,” he said. His one complaint was that most of the students were girls, although a few boys enrolled on Tuesday.
“He has started making friends with some of the girls,” Ms. Forbes said. “It’s something new.”“He has started making friends with some of the girls,” Ms. Forbes said. “It’s something new.”