Page 38 - The Edge - BTS 2021

COVID: What’s Ahead in 2022

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have enough support during the session were attached Crumlish of Aetna recalled that in 2020 the public spent
to the budget. roughly as much on treatment as on testing. The success
of vaccines has brought testing down. “Looking ahead,
Regarding masks, the law prohibits the “use of face testing will probably cost more than treatment,” she said.
coverings by students or staff during school hours and
on school property.” Thomas questioned whether the Crumlish said she expects all school age children to get
terms school hours and school property are conjunctive vaccinated against Covid by the end of the year.
or disjunctive.
“We’re moving from pandemic to endemic,” she said.
State law also states that a student or teacher may not Flu is endemic— Covid will be, too, but no one knows
be required “to receive a Covid vaccine or wear a face what it will look like.”
covering to participate in in-person instruction.”
Flu, like Covid, is contagious and airborne, but Covid is
In a move targeting sickouts by staff, Thomas said, a way more transmissible, she said. Covid vaccine is more
new section of law states that the Attorney General may effective, resulting in a drop in treatment costs. “Covid
act to recover illegally paid public monies against a vaccine is incredibly effective in mitigating serious
public official, employee or others “who knowingly uses illness,” Crumlish said.
public monies or other public resources, including email,
equipment or compensated work time, to organize, plan It’s unclear what the cost of booster shots will be, she
or execute any activity that impedes or prevents a public said, noting that the federal government has been paying
school from operating for any period of time …” for vaccines since the pandemic began.
“It was the ultimate Christmas tree bill.” – Chris Thomas The good news is that there wasn’t a flu outbreak last
year, probably because more people were staying home
That passage also deals with the Red for Ed protest in and being more careful. But she said she expects the
2018 for an increase in teacher pay, Thomas said. disease to come back later this year.

Among the frequently asked questions he hears, Thomas There are a lot of unknowns ahead, she said. If you’re
said, is whether masks will be worn on school buses. fully funded, the insured did not suffer financially in
Guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and 2020, and if you’re self funded, 2021 will be calmer,
Prevention says face covering should be worn on all she said.
public conveyances. Arguments can be made regarding
whether the term “school hours” also applies to time on Brown of Santa Cruz Valley Unified School District said
a school bus before and after normal school hours. when the pandemic hit, IT was the main go-to person.
The first challenge was providing devices for employees
Other questions involve whether schools have the and students who did not have one. Then there was the
authority to enforce quarantining, and whether the ban issue of tracking devices given to students. The district
on requiring vaccines for students and teachers also also had to provide other services, like child care – a safe
applies to other staff and visitors, including vendors. environment in a school building, for working families
with no adults at home after school.
If schools begin to shift back to virtual learning, which
they still have the authority to do, Thomas suggested the “Now, we have to analyze how we accomplished what
governor might issue an executive order to deal with it. we accomplished, and what we can improve – lessons
He also said the issue of treating vaccinated and non- learned,” Brown said.
vaccinated individuals differently is not a protected-
class issue. Chris Thomas can be reached at: cthomas@azsba.org
Anne Crumlish can be reached at: crumlish@aetna.com
Under HIPPA, a federal law, individuals have a right Isela Brown can be reached at: ibrown@svc35.org
not to disclose health issues, but Thomas recommended
asking if a person has been vaccinated against Covid.

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38 THE EDGE BACK TO SCHOOL 2021