Bucks Co. Health Director: Don't Stop In-Person School

BUCKS COUNTY, PA — Despite new coronavirus cases hitting record highs in Bucks County, the county's heath director is advising school districts not to cancel in-person classes.

In a letter to school officials on Wednesday, Dr. David Damsker said the Bucks County Department of Health "unconditionally recommends not to change the model of instruction for your school districts to virtual at this time."

The guidance differs from suggestions issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Education and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia as COVID-19 case numbers have spiked locally, statewide and nationally.

Last week, Bucks County reported its highest number of new coronavirus cases since the pandemic began, with 826 new cases. Friday set a record for the highest single-day total, with 161.

But Damsker said there is "no existing evidence, anywhere" that in-person schooling contributes to community spread of the virus, nor any that school closures would slow the spread.

"When a school's health and safety plan is followed, we have not seen any evidence of in-school spread, either to other students or staff," Damsker said. "This doesn't mean it won't ever happen. But it does mean that our school district health safety plans are extremely effective."

He said more than 450 Bucks County students and staff members have been quarantined due to close exposures to the virus at school and, so far, none of them have gotten sick as a result. The cases that have been documented at schools, Damsker said, have been ones where the student was exposed elsewhere.

And, out of the more than 1,200 Bucks County coronavirus cases in children so far, none have been hospitalized or gotten "extremely ill," according to Damsker.

"While it's clearly not impossible to occur, the numbers indicate it's very rare," Damsker said.

Bucks County school districts that have returned to in-person learning, either full time or as part of a hybrid model, have instituted strict rules on masks, distancing and other measures meant to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

Schools are uniquely designed to be a "safe and structured environment where this can occur," Damsker wrote.

Earlier this week, Bucks County commissioners said there are no plans locally for a second coronavirus shutdown of businesses, schools and other public places, despite the surge in cases.

Damsker said at the time that, despite the rising numbers, hospitalizations and deaths have remained well below where they were in the fall, due in part to better treatment options and the virus, generally, hitting a younger and healthier population so far this time.