I have been delivering my message on Wednesday mornings on KVOE for over 30 years. Today’s thoughts are without question my most important and heartfelt ever!
Emporia. Lyon County and Kansas are in the midst of a major spike in Corona Virus infections. Locally as of Monday, we had 80 active cases. That’s a 500% increase from the 16 active cases reported just three weeks ago!!
Hopefully, they are all identified with contact tracing taking place and we’ve hit our high watermark. If not, there should be pressure on local officials to take steps to slow things down with more restrictive local rules in terms of gathering sizes and other limits. Wishful thinking won’t fix this mess.
With that being said the so-called 800-pound elephant in the room becomes the opening date for our schools?
We absolutely understand the need for our schools to open, and if safe with face to face learning as a viable option. BUT, with the COVID 19 spiking situation we are experiencing in Lyon County why not choose the option to delay school starts until after Labor Day? It just makes sense.
It makes sense NOT because the schools aren’t ready – they’ve been planning for months. Our schools know what they will do, but our community is not as ready or as healthy as we could be. Those three extra weeks could give Emporia time to cut those active numbers way down.
Also, there should be little debate at the local level about requiring masks in school settings. The Attorney General may be correct legally, but from a health perspective schools need to wear masks and his ruling is counterproductive. That’s a no brainer!
So, mimicking the words of Bill Curtis, the Topeka TV newsman from over 50 years ago when a massive tornado was bearing down on Topeka –
FOR GOD’S SAKE EMPORIA – TAKE THE TIME TO LET OUR COMMUNITY’S HEALTH IMPROVE AND HOLD OFF OPENING SCHOOLS UNTIL AFTER LABOR DAY FOR OUR OWN GOOD!
I’m Steve Sauder
