Murphy said they’ll follow DOE guidelines, but specifics remain undecided
By DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
New Jersey will be looking at federal Department of Education guidelines on remote learning for students, Gov. Phil Murphy said on Monday at his 97th press conference on COVID-19 since the pandemic began in March.
The governor said the state would allow for the step, but it is too early to know what it will involve and how that will affect teachers and staff members.
Murphy said the DOE guidelines are being released later this week that will allow parents to choose all-remote learning for their children. “We will allow for this step,” the governor said. “This is about as complex a step as we or any other state will take,” Murphy said about figuring out what education will look like this fall.
Students began remote learning in mid-March in New Jersey when the COVID-19 pandemic prompted New Jersey’s schools to close for in-person instruction. Inevitably, schools remained closed for the rest of the school year as coronavirus conditions did not improve enough. The state’s schools conducted classes remotely, with students learning from home and teachers teaching from home.
New Jersey already is planning for the school buildings to reopen in September, but there have been concerns from parents and educators about the precautions necessary to prevent the spread of coronavirus with classrooms open.
Asked if teachers and staff members also would have the option of not returning to the classroom, the governor said state officials are focusing on students and their parents.
He noted one of the “aspirations” put forward by educators is having less density in the classroom and some capacity limitations.
“I can’t predict where we’re going to come out on remote learning options, but if (some) kids are remote learning, that is indirectly impacting density and capacity in the classroom,” Murphy said.
In a television interview over the weekend, President Donald Trump reportedly used the case of New Jersey having had only two fatalities among residents under the age of 18 as evidence why schools could reopen for children.
Asked his opinion on that, the governor said “with all due respect to the president, there is too little known … the extent to which there is transmission of the virus, including from asymptomatic young kids. The toughest nut to crack in my humble opinion is the passing of the virus from an asymptomatic healthy young kid to someone who is older, someone who may have co-morbidities or is just as vulnerable. That is an important caveat.”
He said it jumps out at him that only two lives were lost in that demographic, “but I’m still concerned about transmission of the virus.”
Contact sports practices resume
As previously announced, contact drills, practices and competitions for “high-risk” sports were allowed to resume on Monday, July 20.
Those sports include football, rugby, martial arts, wrestling and cheerleading and others, the governor said, for which the state Department of Health released guidelines.
Guidelines include COVID-19 screenings for athletes, coaches and staff, limited equipment sharing and strong requirements for disinfecting and sanitizing equipment.
Sports under the auspices of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (high schools) and National Collegiate Athletic Association (colleges and universities) have to follow those associations’ rules, Murphy said.
“We do feel confident that in an outdoor setting, and with the proper public health and safety protocols in place and being followed … these sports, as we have predicted, may resume,” he added.
The NJSIAA announced July 10 that it has pushed back the start of the fall sports season by about a month. Summer practices can continue to Aug. 28, then there is a two-week hiatus through Sept. 13, when only virtual meetings will be allowed. On Sept. 14, practices can resume.
Girls tennis will begin the competition season on Sept. 28, and all other sports will begin Oct. 1, except for football, which starts Oct. 2. All postseason play will end by Nov. 22, but football will be allowed Thanksgiving Day games on Nov. 26.
No update on serving customers in restaurants
At the press conference, the governor offered no clear timetable on when restaurants would be allowed to resume serving customers inside. He lauded the creativity of restaurants with their outdoor service, but said because other states have shown their increases in COVID-19 cases were largely due to indoor activities, New Jersey is not ready to take the next step to allow indoor restaurant dining.