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The goal of this thread is simply to discuss how reopening might work, with safety third (a la Mike Rowe). I'll start off with a few fundamental assumptions that hopefully we can mostly agree on:
- The safest thing to do is to stay home with the shutters closed and not come out until 2022. This would be safety first.
- However, there would be catastrophic consequences to prolonged national paralysis.
- Reopening, when it happens, should be done with an eye toward reducing risk as much as possible... safety third.
* I am aware that there are some that believe that no mitigation is necessary at all. However, it is likely that customers & employees would still expect some degree of mitigation, so even if the owner doesn't believe it is necessary he/she might still need to implement mitigation.
Small B&M Businesses:
- We might look at how SBs are doing in Wuhan as an example. So far, it seems that shops are trying their best to minimize actual FTF. In other places, seating is now spread far out. In other settings, however, businesses may need to depend on customers to wear masks and be mindful of themselves.
- In my own experiences working in a workshop (CNC, electrical), I could see how mask wearing and a bit of spacing out might work out. I'd have to swap my mask out every so often as it got wet, but it could be done.
- What other things might be done to reduce risk?
Factories:
- I don't have much experience working in major plants ie meat processing, industrial, and so on. Based on what I've seen in China, they space out their workers at all times whenever possible, including lunch. Workers wear PPE but if it is a frenetic environment that would be difficult.
Schools:
- Yeesh. There's no good answer to this. Under age 5 it's basically a germ fest. Low immunity, horrible hygiene. The high quality preschools around me all closed because parents took their kids out, mainly because they were afraid the little kids would bring it home to grandma and kill her. They plan to reopen may 15, with class sizes reduced down to 12 per 2 teachers. staggered play schedules on the yard. I suggested reducing tree cover to let sunlight kill germs. they can't clean because wet slippery surfaces are a major risk.
- ages 5-13, the only thing i can think of is spread out the kids and lowering class sizes dramatically. not sure how the budget can handle this.
- high schools. I would start by cutting the amount of administrative and out of classroom staff dramatically. for example in your standard high school you have 60 teachers and 30 certificated (their jobs require teaching, administrative, or counseling credentials). use those positions to reduce class sizes. currently the LAUSD average is (IIRC) 42 to 1. rooms are often very crowded. if we could bring that down to an avg of 20 (as in Bush II's no child left behind plan) that would be helpful. there would likely need to be a lot of distance learning, which is very possible. maybe a model where kids meet in classes, spread out, for a few hours each day, then the rest of the day online after lunch. at poor schools which are 95%+ poverty they can take a supper bag home (a light supper is usually served for free at those schools at 3PMish). I would also suggest bringing back the roaming model that LAUSD was forced to use 1995-2005, where teachers do the moving and students stay in one room (instead of the kids going from period 1 to 2 to 3,etc)
Just some thoughts, as my friends, family, myself consider what we need to do regarding reopening.
- The safest thing to do is to stay home with the shutters closed and not come out until 2022. This would be safety first.
- However, there would be catastrophic consequences to prolonged national paralysis.
- Reopening, when it happens, should be done with an eye toward reducing risk as much as possible... safety third.
* I am aware that there are some that believe that no mitigation is necessary at all. However, it is likely that customers & employees would still expect some degree of mitigation, so even if the owner doesn't believe it is necessary he/she might still need to implement mitigation.
Small B&M Businesses:
- We might look at how SBs are doing in Wuhan as an example. So far, it seems that shops are trying their best to minimize actual FTF. In other places, seating is now spread far out. In other settings, however, businesses may need to depend on customers to wear masks and be mindful of themselves.
- In my own experiences working in a workshop (CNC, electrical), I could see how mask wearing and a bit of spacing out might work out. I'd have to swap my mask out every so often as it got wet, but it could be done.
- What other things might be done to reduce risk?
Factories:
- I don't have much experience working in major plants ie meat processing, industrial, and so on. Based on what I've seen in China, they space out their workers at all times whenever possible, including lunch. Workers wear PPE but if it is a frenetic environment that would be difficult.
Schools:
- Yeesh. There's no good answer to this. Under age 5 it's basically a germ fest. Low immunity, horrible hygiene. The high quality preschools around me all closed because parents took their kids out, mainly because they were afraid the little kids would bring it home to grandma and kill her. They plan to reopen may 15, with class sizes reduced down to 12 per 2 teachers. staggered play schedules on the yard. I suggested reducing tree cover to let sunlight kill germs. they can't clean because wet slippery surfaces are a major risk.
- ages 5-13, the only thing i can think of is spread out the kids and lowering class sizes dramatically. not sure how the budget can handle this.
- high schools. I would start by cutting the amount of administrative and out of classroom staff dramatically. for example in your standard high school you have 60 teachers and 30 certificated (their jobs require teaching, administrative, or counseling credentials). use those positions to reduce class sizes. currently the LAUSD average is (IIRC) 42 to 1. rooms are often very crowded. if we could bring that down to an avg of 20 (as in Bush II's no child left behind plan) that would be helpful. there would likely need to be a lot of distance learning, which is very possible. maybe a model where kids meet in classes, spread out, for a few hours each day, then the rest of the day online after lunch. at poor schools which are 95%+ poverty they can take a supper bag home (a light supper is usually served for free at those schools at 3PMish). I would also suggest bringing back the roaming model that LAUSD was forced to use 1995-2005, where teachers do the moving and students stay in one room (instead of the kids going from period 1 to 2 to 3,etc)
Just some thoughts, as my friends, family, myself consider what we need to do regarding reopening.
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