Below is the speech that one of Hannah's classmate's mom gave to the school board last night to convince our district to close the buildings:
A message of hope
My fellow parents, members of the board, and school administrators, I speak to you tonight, not with a message of fear, but with a message of hope.
My name is Mia Levy and I am the parent of two District 112 students. I am a physician and the director of the Rush University Cancer Center. My statements tonight are not made as an official representative of my healthcare organization, but as a fellow member of our beloved community, and out of a deep sense of obligation and hope.
This week, the Illinois governor declared a state of emergency related to COVID-19, and as of this afternoon, there have been 32 confirmed cases in the Chicago area. Analysis from the World Health Organization indicates that each person infected with COVID-19 transmits the disease to more people than for seasonal influenza, and the rate of severe and critical cases is also higher than for the seasonal flu. The elderly and immuno-compromised are at highest risk for severe or critical cases of COVID-19.
Now is not the time for complacency. It is time for decisive action. Our school district is faced with the need to make a timely decision to close our schools that could dramatically impact the health of our entire community. Your actions will save lives—maybe not yours or your kids’, but maybe your kids’ grandparents, your coworkers, and others in your communities, schools, and congregations.
In speaking with friends and family, many express a sense of defeat. They anticipate that each of us will inevitably get COVID-19, and that changing any of our regular routines would be pointless. I am here to tell you loudly and confidently that this does not need to be the destiny of our community.
There is strong evidence from past epidemics and lessons from COVID-19 so far, that early implementation of social distancing measures can significantly mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and save lives.
Social distancing limits the spread of disease by keeping people from congregating in large groups. This includes keeping people out of settings like schools, work, and shopping centers where they are together closely for an extended period of time. Another aim is to avoid mass gatherings like concerts, movies, religious services, and sporting events. When out in public, maintain a distance of about six feet apart from one other.
Evidence shows that the earlier social distancing measures are taken during an epidemic, the more lives can be saved. In the 1918 flu pandemic, Philadelphia waited 14 days to take broad social distancing measures, whereas St. Louis took immediate action. The death rates in Philadelphia peaked at 250 per 100,000 people overwhelming the capacity of their healthcare system. In contrast, St. Louis peaked at 50 per deaths per 100,000 people, significantly limiting the impact on their community.
Similarly, during this current COVID-19 outbreak, countries like Japan, Singapore, and Hong Kong took early social distancing measures resulting in a significantly lower rate of transmission. Italy on the other hand took 16 days to take sweeping action at the cost of a rapidly rising rate of transmission throughout Europe.
Aggressive social distancing measures may seem extreme to some people. But human nature is often difficult to overcome. A Missouri father and his family were under self-quarantine after one of his children tested positive for COVID-19. He broke quarantine to attend a father-daughter dance with another one of his children, risking exposure to his entire community and resulting in the school’s closure. I can imagine the burden of this father’s decision, not wanting to disappoint his child who was not sick but instructed not to attend this very special event, breaking his previous commitment to her. Social distancing measures strive to help people by eliminating these day-to-day decisions, by canceling social events to prevent people from congregating in large groups.
Closing schools will have a major ripple effect on all other activities in our community. It is the strongest signal we can send to other organizations that now is the time to act broadly to implement social distancing measures in our community.
I encourage you to rise up and be part of the solution and this message of hope. Petition our schools to close earlier than later, postpone birthday parties and I dare say Mitzvah events, reach out to your children’s sporting event commissions and encourage them to cancel or postpone sports competitions, cancel work and personal travel including your spring break plans, implement work from home plans for you and your employees, encourage those over 60 and with medical conditions to stay home and check on them regularly.
As a physician leader whose is responsible for safeguarding the well-being of my vulnerable patient population and the healthcare professionals committed to caring for them, I believe the strongest message of hope I can give tonight for them is to encourage you to act now to be part of the solution. Close our schools.