A new partnership is trying to help Illinois schools open as safely as possible during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The Illinois Education Association and the Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics formed a medical review panel to determine if a school district's re-openings plans are safe for students, staff and communities. One of the review panel members is Dr. Douglas Carlson -- chair of pediatrics for SIU School of Medicine.
"I think this joint effort is to help schools make those determinations based on experts in the care of children with the American Academy of Pediatrics and experts in work environments for teachers. Together, I think we can make the right decisions."
He says schools can open safely if everyone in the building wears face coverings, practices social distancing, works in small groups, washes their hands frequently and gets tested.
"If we don't follow those rules -- and students and a few teachers get sick -- they will likely do fine. But, it will increase the rate of COVID in the community. When COVID is in the community, then all of us, including those that are at risk for serious illness and death have a higher rate of becoming infected."
Carlson says schools can request help from the panel if they're unsure about how to safely re-open this fall.
This partnership between the Illinois Education Association and the Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics came about after IEA discovered the State of Illinois encouraged districts to open up without a system to have their Return to Learn plans assessed or enforced.
