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COVID-19

Hawley calls on Hochul to be transparent about crisis at nursing homes during pandemic

By Press Release

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R, C - Batavia) signed on to a letter calling on Gov. Kathy Hochul to respond and investigate the nursing home mismanagement disaster from the COVID-19 pandemic in a more timely and open manner.

As many New Yorkers are aware, nursing homes were some of the most highly volatile areas where the coronavirus spread. This was largely due to elderly citizens being particularly vulnerable, and then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo decided to relocate hospitalized patients to nursing homes once there were no more beds in hospitals. Hawley, like many legislators, wants accountability from those who made the decision that led to so many deaths.

“This saga has gone on for three long and painful years, and it’s time for the governor to be more transparent with what her plans are,” Hawley said. “We’ve had families plead for justice, for answers, for accountability, but they have gone unheard thanks to a government that has tried its hardest to sweep its mistakes under the rug. We owe it to all New Yorkers to be transparent and timely with them about this matter.”

Western New York had a particularly notable case that demanded answering for. The Villages of Orleans is currently facing a class action lawsuit and a separate lawsuit from the New York State Attorney General’s office regarding the mishandling of the elderly in their care during COVID-19. With incidents like these in our own backyard, Hawley is eager to see wrongs be righted.

“Families deserve justice, plain and simple. Both here in Orleans County and across this state. I sincerely hope the governor agrees to our request and makes this process more transparent,” Hawley concluded.

Photo: File photo by Howard Owens

Hawley rallies for local roads and bridges

By Press Release

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Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R, C -Batavia) rallied today with the Assembly and Senate Minority in the call for an increased allocation of funds for local roads and bridges as part of this year’s budget. Local roads and bridges are often in disrepair and require support from the state to help with maintenance and management, and Hawley believes the budget should allocate for it.

“I am imploring the legislature and the governor to include an additional $200 million for local road and bridge maintenance and an additional $70 million for Extreme Winter Recovery,” Hawley said. “With the governor's proposed budget of $228 billion, it would behoove the legislature and governor to assure the $270 million is made available for our local roads and bridges that our taxpayers travel every day.”

Tenney backs bills opposing vaccine mandate and ending pandemic designation

By Press Release

Press release:

Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) today voted in favor of H.R. 497, the Freedom for Health Care Workers Act, a bill she cosponsored to end the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services vaccine mandate for healthcare workers. In addition, the Congresswoman also voted in favor of H.R. 382, the Pandemic is Over Act, which officially ends the COVID-19 public health emergency declared by the Department of Health and Human Services in 2020.

H.R. 497 passed the House by a vote of 227-203, while H.R. 382 passed the House by 220-210.

Following her vote on these bills, Congresswoman Tenney released the following statement:

"The president has said it himself: the pandemic is over," said Congresswoman Tenney. "As New York families and small businesses have returned to normal, it is finally time for the government to do the same by ending the permanent state of emergency and lifting its overreaching and unconstitutional mandates. I was honored to support these critical pieces of legislation, which make good on the Republican commitment to restore our fundamental freedoms and ensure the government is accountable to the people."

Tenney backs legislation aimed at blocking OSHA from attempting COVID-19 vaccine mandate

By Press Release

Press release:

Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) today reintroduced the Health Freedom for All Act to prevent the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) from overstepping its congressional authority by enacting a COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

In September of 2021, the Biden Administration, through the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) attempted to mandate COVID-19 vaccines for employees of businesses with 100 or more employees and require weekly testing for those who remain unvaccinated.

While this mandate was blocked by the Supreme Court, this legislation will stop the Biden Administration from ever attempting a COVID-19 mandate through OSHA again. The bill finally clarifies that under existing law, OSHA does not have the authority to implement rules requiring Americans to undergo COVID-19 vaccinations or testing.

The Health Freedom for All Act was co-sponsored by Congressman Matt Rosendale (MT-2), Congressman Bill Posey (FL-8), Congressman Greg Steube (FL-17), Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna (FL-13), Congresswoman Lauren Boebert (CO-3), and Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-2).

Tenney reintroduces Transparency in COVID-19 Expenditures Act

By Press Release

Press release:

Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) member of the House Ways and Means Committee, today reintroduced H.R. 348, the Transparency in COVID-19 Expenditures Act, alongside Representatives Mike Gallagher (WI-08), Jake LaTurner (KS-02), Darrell Issa (CA-48), and Chris Smith (NJ-04).

This bill requires the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to audit the funding provided by the COVID-19 relief bills Congress passed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Specifically, the GAO must audit and report on the use of funding provided by:

  • the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020
  • the Families First Coronavirus Response Act
  • the CARES Act
  • the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act
  • Divisions M and N of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, and
  • the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

The United States has spent over $4 trillion in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, much of which was spent without proper oversight. In fact, the New York State Comptroller reported that over $11 billion in fraudulent unemployment insurance payments were made during the first year of the pandemic alone.

Following the release of H.R. 348, the lawmaker released the following statement:

“Taxpayers deserve to know where their money went and how it was spent,” said Congresswoman Tenney. “Now that we are in the Majority, House Republicans are leading to charge to make the government more accountable and transparent, and that starts with how American’s tax dollars were spent. The financial fraud following the COVID-19 pandemic was unprecedented and we must ensure we never give out a blank check and make these same mistakes again. I’m honored to lead this charge to create a more transparent government.”

Read the full text of the bill here.

Grand Jury Report: Woman accused of presenting forged vaccination card to employer

By Howard B. Owens

Stacey A. King is indicted on counts of criminal possession of a forged instrument in the second degree and falsifying business records in the first degree. King is accused of presenting a forged COVID-19 vaccination record to her employer in the City of Batavia on Oct. 1, 2021.

Katherine J. Briggs is indicted on one count of criminal contempt in the first degree. Briggs is accused of violating an order of protection on July 27 at a location on South Main Street, Batavia.

Martin P. Macioszek, II, is indicted on one count of grand larceny in the third degree.  Macioszek is accused of stealing property with a value greater than $3,000 from a location in the Town of Batavia between May 2020 and September 2020.

 

Area residents encouraged to get COVID-19 boosters

By Press Release

Press release:

Public health officials are encouraging eligible residents in the Finger Lakes region to get vaccinated with the updated booster shot against COVID-19. The CDC recently approved reformulated booster shots to further protect against the disease.

According to CDC guidelines, people ages 12 and older are now eligible to receive an updated booster two months after their last COVID-19 dose — either since their last booster shot or since completing their initial two vaccine doses.

  • Pfizer’s updated booster dose is recommended for individuals 12 and older.
  • Moderna’s updated booster dose is recommended for adults 18 and older.
  • Anyone can get either the Pfizer or Moderna booster, regardless of the manufacturer of their previous vaccines.

The CDC suggests that people who had COVID-19 recently may consider waiting three months from the start of their symptoms or a positive test before getting the updated booster shot.

Linda Clark, Chief Medical Officer at Common Ground Health, said, “With COVID-19 variants continuing to persist and with flu season approaching, it is important that people stay up to date with their vaccinations. Everyone who is eligible should get the updated booster this fall for maximum protection against the disease, and people can get the booster shot the same day as their flu shot.”

These new booster doses contain an updated bivalent formula that protects against the newer Omicron variants and against the original Coronavirus. The updated bivalent formula is not for initial vaccination; it is for use only for COVID-19 booster doses.

People who have questions about COVID-19 vaccines should talk to their physician or visit http://www.getyouranswers.org.

Health department reports rise in new COVID cases over past two weeks

By Howard B. Owens

For the first time since late spring, there have been more than 100 new COVID-19 cases reported in Genesee County in back-to-back weeks.

For the week of Sept. 14, there were 123 new positive tests reported to the Genesee County Health Department. For the week of Sept. 21, there were 115.

New case reports were well below 100 most weeks throughout the summer.

The county only has data on cases reported from labs or people who did at-home tests and took it upon themselves to report their positive tests to the county.  People who test at home but don't report their results are not included in the count.  The total number of lab-based positives for the past week is 91.

One death from COVID-related causes was reported in the past week, bringing the total number of Genesee County residents who have died from the disease to 201.

According to the CDC, the county's current transmission risk is "medium." 

Updated COVID vaccine, booster available through Health Department

By Press Release

Press release:

On Sept. 1, 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its recommendations on booster doses for COVID-19. The updated Bivalent COVID-19 vaccine booster is designed to give individuals protection against the original strain of COVID-19 and provides better protection against the Omicron variant, which accounts for a majority of the current cases in the United States. The new bivalent booster replaces the existing monovalent vaccine booster doses that have been offered.*

Eligibility:

Moderna COVID-19 Bivalent Booster Dose

Individuals 18 years of age and older are eligible for a booster dose if it has been at least two months since they have completed their primary vaccine series or received a monovalent booster dose.

Pfizer COVID-19 Bivalent Booster Dose

Individuals 12 years of age and older are eligible for a booster dose if it has been at least two months since they have completed their primary vaccine series or received a monovalent booster dose.

*Pfizer COVID-19 Monovalent Booster Dose*

Individuals 5-11 years of age are eligible for a booster dose at least five months after completing their primary series.

“The Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments will offer the Bivalent Booster starting this week at our COVID-19 clinics,” stated Paul Pettit, Genesee and Orleans County Health Public Health Director. “We encourage residents to talk with their primary care provider and/or their pharmacist with questions related to the COVID-19 vaccine and the Bivalent Booster.”

Appointments are required and walk-ins will NOT be accepted. To make an appointment for your next COVID-19 vaccine, visit https://bit.ly/GOHealthCOVID-19Vaccine.

Week of September 11

Genesee County

3837 West Main Street Road

Batavia, NY

Orleans County

14016 State Route, Suite 101

Albion, NY

Thursday, September 15th

9:30-11:30AM

Bivalent Boosters ONLY

Thursday, September 16th

1:30-2:45PM

Bivalent Boosters ONLY

Starting the week of September 18

Genesee County

3837 West Main Street Road

Batavia, NY

Orleans County

14016 State Route, Suite 101

Albion, NY

Wednesdays

1:30-3:30pm

All doses

Thursdays

1:30-3:30pm

All doses

 

Grant of $1.4 million to support student mental health in Batavia post-pandemic

By Press Release

Press Release

The Batavia City School District is proud to announce it has received $1.4M in grant funding from the New York State Office of Mental Health under the “Student Mental Health Support Grants to School Districts” program to assist with mental health issues as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to a national survey described in a recent publication of Pediatrics: An Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, “The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted both parent’s and children's mental health. The need to address the emotional and psychological wellbeing of children has never been more important.”

New York State’s Office of Mental Health announced the grants in March of 2022 specifically developed for public school students, families, faculty, and staff with the purpose of “improving access to mental health resources, support students who have experienced stress, anxiety and/or trauma, and to support the adults that surround them.” 

According to the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), “Research demonstrates that students who receive social-emotional and mental health support perform better academically.”

“This grant will provide much-needed assistance to our students and staff,” said Superintendent Jason Smith. “We are still evaluating the learning loss associated with the past two years of the pandemic, but it’s safe to say it’s had an extraordinary impact on our students’ mental health. We thank the Office of Mental Health for prioritizing students in our state and will certainly put these funds to good use.” 

According to the grant information, “The expectation is that this enhancement will be utilized to address inequities and provide additional availability and access to the continuum of strategies and supports that address the mental health of students. The objectives of this grant include enhancing access to mental health services, implementing integrated mental health supports, and strengthening community partnerships.”

“The impact of the pandemic across all areas of our students' lives cannot be underestimated,” said Dr. Molly Corey, Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction. “With grant programs like these, we can fill in the gaps with our curriculum, programming, and resources to make sure no student falls through the cracks and gets the support they need to be successful and get back on track.” 

BCSD’s plans for the funding are currently under review and will be announced to the community at a later date.

 

Batavia woman sent to federal prison, ordered to repay $18K of stolen COVID relief funds

By Howard B. Owens
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Danielle Tooley

A Batavia woman, who applied for and received unemployment benefits connected to COVID-19 relief programs that she was not entitled to, has been sentenced to six months in federal prison.

Danielle Tooley, 37, must also pay $18,000 in restitution to the federal government.

Tooley's scheme was uncovered by local law enforcement during a traffic stop on Nov. 24, when she was arrested for alleged criminal possession of a controlled substance following a traffic stop on Clinton Street Road in Bergen.

As officers prepared to tow Tooley's vehicle, they recovered six NYS unemployment benefit cards issued to people other than Tooley. They turned the cards over to the Department of Labor. 

An investigation by the Inspector General revealed that Tooley had consistently withdrawn money from bank accounts associated with the cards.

She was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford.

Booking Photo: From an unrelated arrest in Genesee County and obtained by The Batavian through a Freedom of Information Law request.

Number of new COVID-19 cases locally declines

By Howard B. Owens

After an eight-week run of higher numbers of known COVID-19 case counts in Genesee County, the number of new positive tests reported dropped significantly over the past week.

There were 170 new positive tests reported for the seven days ending Tuesday. 

The previous week, there were 261 new positive tests reported.

Community organizations can receive COVID test kits from Hawley's office

By Press Release

Press release

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R, C, I-Batavia) is announcing that he will be making COVID-19 home test kits available through his office for free to any local organizations that could assist in distributing them to people who need them. Any groups interested in obtaining test kits are encouraged to reach out to the Assemblyman’s office at 585-589-5780 to learn more details and schedule a pickup.

“When it comes to COVID-19, we never truly know what lies ahead, and as the Boy Scouts say, it’s wise to ‘be prepared,’” said Hawley. “I encourage any and all local organizations that could put these tests to use to reach out and take advantage of this opportunity.”

After a lull in new COVID cases, Le Roy, like county, has seen more positive tests

By Howard B. Owens

When the mask mandate was first lifted for students in public schools, the number of COVID cases reported amount the Le Roy Central Schools population was low to non-existent, Superintendent Merritt Holly told school board members at Tuesday's meeting.

But like the rest of the community, case numbers have been rising, he said.

"It's just something that is just hanging here as we get into the spring," Holly said. "I think as you've seen, flu numbers are still up. The two haven't gone away. We had a good stretch where we went a couple of weeks with no cases at all and since we've come back from break, we've had three or four (cases), five on a day. So they're up a little bit from where we were."

What Le Roy is seeing in cases mirrors what is being reported in the county as a whole, though in the past week, the number of new cases has leveled off.

There were 283 new cases reported in Genesee County for the week ending May 10, which is down slightly from the 286 cases reported the week before.

As for flu, there were 14 cases reported in Genesee County in the last week of April, according to the state's flu tracker web site.  There were 19 flu cases reported the week before and five the week before that.

 

Number of positive COVID-19 test in Genesee County rises for fifth straight week

By Howard B. Owens

The community spread risk factor for SARS-2-CoV in Genesee County has been raised to medium by the CDC after a seven-day period in which 278 new positive COVID-19 tests were reported.

There were 212 lab-confirmed positive tests during the week and 66 self-reported positive tests from home test kits. There is no way of knowing how many people tested positive with a home test kit and didn't report the results to the health department.

This fifth straight week of increasing positive tests in the county.  

No additional deaths from COVID-19-related illnesses were reported.

The total number of COVID-19-related hospitalizations are no longer reported but UMMC does report being at 70 percent capacity with ICU also being at 70 percent capacity.

If you test positive with a home test kit, you can report the results to the health department through this link.

Hawley: Small business owners should apply for COVID-relief grant before April 30

By Press Release

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R, C, I-Batavia) is encouraging eligible small business owners that have incomplete applications or have not yet submitted the necessary documentation to receive COVID-19 Pandemic Small Business Recovery Grant Program funding to apply before the application period for the program draws to a close on April 30. 

While Empire State Development has distributed over $550 million in funds to small businesses throughout the state since the program’s inception, much of the program’s $800 million in funds remain available to eligible small business owners who have either not started or completed their applications. Small business owners can use the following link to complete unfinished applications or view the eligibility requirements they would need to meet to begin an application: https://nysmallbusinessrecovery.com

“With all our small businesses have endured through these last few years, it would be saddening to see business owners who truly need and deserve this support go without it,” said Hawley. “I’d encourage everyone who even thinks there’s a chance they’d be eligible for this funding to look into it. They may be surprised by the assistance available to them.”

 

Health Department alerts public to increase in COVID-19 cases locally

By Press Release

Press release:

The Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments (GO Health) are seeing an increase in the number of people who have tested positive for COVID-19.  This recent increase in COVID-19 cases is due to the new Omicron variant BA.2, which spreads more easily than other earlier variants.

“We are looking at COVID-19 Community Levels of high for Orleans and medium for Genesee,” stated Paul Pettit, Director of the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments.  “According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Weekly Metrics Used to Determine the COVID-19 Community Level which was updated Thursday, April 21st, Orleans County case rate per 100,000 (this calculation is used to compare larger and smaller counties) is now at 203.21.  The new COVID-19 admissions per 100,000 is at 12 and the percentage of staffed inpatient beds in use by patients with confirmed COVID-19 is 4.6%.  This updated data now places Orleans at a high community level.  With this increase it is important for everyone, especially those at higher risk of complications to be more attentive with their public health prevention practices.”

Genesee County is currently at medium COVID-19 Community:  Case rate per 100,000 population is at 19.29.  New COVID-19 admissions per 100,000 is 12 and the percent of staffed inpatient beds in use by patients with confirmed COVID-19 is 4.6%.  To learn more on how community levels are determined, visit the CDC at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

With any new COVID-19 variant circulating, it is not a surprise to see an increase of positive cases. Even with this increase, our health care capacity in the region currently remains stable with the normal bed capacity levels. Generally, the omicron variant (Omicron BA.2) causes more mild symptoms, although some people may have more severe symptoms depending on their COVD-19 vaccination status, the presence of other health conditions, age, and history of prior infection.

We encourage those that have not been vaccinated and those who are not up-to-date on their COVID-19 vaccination, to be vaccinated and to talk with their primary care provider.  You can register for COVID-19 vaccination clinics here or check with your pharmacist, primary care provider, or the vaccines.gov website for other vaccination providers.

We continue to encourage residents to practice the following public health precautions to lower exposure to the virus, especially those who are at higher risk:

  • Wash your hands frequently with soap and water and keep your hands away from your face. 
  • If you are sick, stay home, get tested and talk with your primary care provider. 
  • If you test positive for COVID-19, self-isolate and let your close contacts know to watch for symptoms and that they should consider being tested.  If you are required to submit paperwork to your school or employer, you can access that here

Consider wearing a tight-fitting facemask when you are in crowded public places.   

Genesee County COVID cases increase again but local community spread considered low by CDC

By Howard B. Owens

For the third straight week, the number of positive COVID-19 tests reported in Genesee county has increased significantly, according to Genesee County Health Department data released today.

Even so, the CDC rates the risk of community spread in Genesee county as low.

There were 168 new positive tests reported in the county for the week of April 13 through April 19.  In the previous week, there were 119 new cases, and in the week before that, 62, which is double the new cases from the prior week.

According to health department data, 43 of the newly reported cases were from home tests. There is no way of knowing how many people tested positive with home test report results to the county.

To report a positive home test to the health department, click here.

The CDC guidelines for areas with low community spread are: "People may choose to mask at any time. People with symptoms, a positive test, or exposure to someone with COVID-19 should wear a mask."

 

Regional health care group encourages seniors to COVID boosters

By Press Release

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Press release:

With the BA.2 variant increasing the number of COVID-19 transmissions, county public health directors in the Finger Lakes region today encouraged eligible residents to get their second booster shot.

BA.2, known as “stealth Omicron,” currently accounts for 80.6% of COVID-19 infections in New York state, according to the state Department of Health. The second booster of an mRNA vaccine, such as those from Pfizer or Moderna, is available to adults age 50 and older, as well as to certain immunocompromised adults.

Those eligible for a second booster need to wait at least four months after they receive their first booster dose.

“As the BA.2 variant is leading to more COVID-19 infections, the best defense against becoming severely ill remains getting vaccinated,” said Michele Foster, executive director, S2AY Rural Health Network. “We encourage eligible residents to get their second booster shot, and we urge those who are unvaccinated to get their first shot to avoid severe illness or hospitalization.”

More information about the COVID-19 vaccines is available at www.GetYourAnswers.org and the Finger Lakes COVID-19 Vaccine Hub, where people can also make a vaccine appointment. 

 

RRH pediatrician delivers message on COVID, vaccines and masks for parents in region

By Howard B. Owens

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While the omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 carries with it less risk of a serious sickness, it still is a dangerous and sometimes deadly disease, and children should be protected from it, said Dr. Steven Schulz, RRH pediatrician and medical director of RRH Pediatrics in Monroe County.

The same appears to hold true, so far, for the B2 variant of omicron.

Rochester Regional Health via Zoom hosted a press conference today for reporters from throughout the region. It was pegged to a recent study published by the American Medical Association that found that the omicron variant is six to eight times more likely to lead to infections for children less than five years old but resulted, percentage-wise, in fewer hospitalizations.

Still, with nearly two percent of infected children dying as a result of an omicron-variant COVID infection, the disease remains far more deadly than the flu.

Schultz said that based on the most recent CDC numbers he's seen, 1,300 children in the U.S. have died from COVID over the past two years.  

"If we divide that in half, that's still way, way worse than any flu season we've had in recent history," Schultz said. "You hate to ever think that your child would be the one who would have the severe complication or the severe outcome, but it does happen and kids have died and do die from COVID."

Because omicron -- and so far B2 -- is more contagious, more children under age five are getting sick but because the variants do not seem to cause as many severe outcomes, area hospitals are not seeing many young children in the hospital. 

"Kids were less likely to need to go to the ER, to be hospitalized, end up in ICU, or on mechanical ventilation in this zero to five group compared to the delta," Schultz said. "That's certainly reassuring but it also doesn't mean that it's risk-free to get omicron, especially in this age group. We definitely know that we saw kids throughout that time ending up in the hospital, even though the odds might have been a little bit less compared to delta, because more kids were getting infected, we definitely still saw lots of kids in the hospitals."

It's not just immune-compromised kids, or children with other health issues, who are getting hospitalized and dying from COVID, Schultz said.  Healthy children are at risk, too.

The good news, Schultz said, is that we have a safe and effective vaccine -- the Phizer vaccine -- available to children over the age of five. 

"We know that vaccination is still the most effective way to keep children safe," Schultz said. "The COVID vaccine is safe. It's effective. It significantly reduces the chances of ending up in the hospital. So anybody who has children five years of age and up, I definitely encourage getting the COVID vaccine right now."

Since children under age five cannot be vaccinated, the best way to protect them, Schultz said, is for everybody in a household over age five to get vaccinated.

"You're protecting the younger child as well," Schultz said. "The other thing that we know, with all of this, of course, is still that masking and social distancing works. And it's not a coincidence that, since the mask mandate has been removed in early March, we're suddenly seeing increasing rates of COVID as well as influenza. There's, there's no question about it."

He noted that the positivity rate for COVID tests in the region has jumped from a recent low of three percent to 10 percent.  That's no coincidence, he said, and tied directly to the lifting of mask mandates.

Schultz has a young son who wears a mask to school every day.  Not only does it provide an extra layer of defense for him, Schultz said, it also helps other children in the school.  There are children in his class who have moderate to severe immunosuppression.  

"I completely agree that it's a greater good for the community as a whole to wear masks," Schultz said.

He disagrees with those who say masks harm children's interpersonal development.

"There have been lots of studies that actually show that it's not the case, that kids are still able to read facial expressions, that kids are still learning those interactions," Schultz said.

The other way to protect children, and others,, Schultz noted, is for parents of symptomatic young ones is to keep them home.

"There's not really any way to tell COVID from any other viral illness, based on symptoms alone," Schultz said. "A runny nose, congestion, cough, fever, even GI symptoms, they can happen with a variety of viral illnesses. Sometimes we can test to name those viruses, whether it's COVID, whether it's flu, but sometimes it's one of the other of hundreds of viruses that are out there. So if there's a suspicion or a question, especially if you have a child going to school, or daycare, or a large family gathering coming up, where there's a higher risk of transmission between people, it's really important to have your child seen and evaluated by a healthcare provider to make sure that it's not COVID In those situations."

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