Page 2 - aruba-today-20200910

A2 UP FRONT
Thursday 10 sepTember 2020
Teacher deaths raise alarms as new school year begins

that the return to in-person coverings and strict social a high school with close to
classes will have a deadly distancing rules to reopen 2,000 students so it kind of
impact across the U.S. if safely. runs against the advice we
proper precautions aren't "If community spread is too have been given for half a
taken. AshLee DeMarinis high as it is in Missouri and year now," Dunlap said.
was just 34 when she died Mississippi, if you don't have Across the U.S., the Ameri-
Sunday after three weeks the infrastructure of testing, can Federation of Teach-
in the hospital. She taught and if you don't have the ers lists 210 union members
social skills and special safeguards that prevent who have died. The list in-
education at John Evans the spread of viruses in the cludes support staff and
Middle School in Potosi, school, we believe that you retirees as well as teachers.
Missouri, about 70 miles cannot reopen in person," The start of the new school
(115 kilometers) southwest Weingarten said. year brought with it new
of St. Louis. A third-grade Johnny Dunlap, a 39-year- fatalities. In Oxford, Missis-
teacher died Monday in old drama and forensics sippi, 42-year-old Nacoma
South Carolina, and two teacher at Dodge City James taught at a middle
other educators died re- High School in Kansas, school and helped coach
cently in Mississippi. It's un- said he considered quit- high school football. He
clear how many teachers ting before the district died Aug. 6 during the first
in the U.S. have become made masks mandatory week of classes, but was
ill with COVID-19 since the for teachers and students. self-quarantining when
new school year began, Still, his history of bladder teachers and students re-
AshLee DeMarinis is shown in an undated photo provided by her but Mississippi alone has cancer and high blood turned to the classroom,
sister, Jennifer Heissenbuttel. reported 604 cases among pressure have left him with said Lafayette County
Associated Press.
school teachers and staff. some angst about being School District Superinten-
By JIM SALTER and states have died after Randi Weingarten, presi- around so many people. dent Adam Pugh.
LEAH WILLINGHAM bouts with the coronavirus dent of the American Fed- Existing health conditions Pugh recalled that James
Associated Press since the dawn of the new eration of Teachers, said can put people at higher was a seventh-grade stu-
O'FALLON, Mo. (AP) — school year, and a teach- schools need guidelines risk for severe illness and dent when he began
Teachers in at least three ers' union leader worries such as mandatory face death from the virus. "I'm at teaching 30 years ago.q
Trump and Biden run vastly different pandemic campaigns

Continued from Front dismissed the suggestion ingly since the pandemic, sponse to the coronavirus chanted "Go Joe!," but the
that Trump should comply and with the strictest ad- at a university building in private meeting ran so long
"It's you, it's Michigan, it's a with local guidelines. "We herence to state guide- Pittsburgh, a crowd of more that Biden only interacted
couple others," Trump add- believe if people want to lines: 25 people in Pennsyl- than 100 gathered and with them for less than a
ed, as he sees a potent line show up and express their vania, 10 people indoors in continued to arrive even as minute. As he was leaving,
of attack in pivotal states political views, that's their Michigan and mandatory his event wrapped up. he walked to the middle
run by Democrats. choice to do so," she told face-coverings all around. They chanted "We want of the street and then, sur-
Trump aides and allies sug- reporters Wednesday. Biden's approach reflects Joe!" and waved Biden rounded by Secret Service
gest the president sees his Outdoor events used to the reluctance of many signs, some of them home- agents, bellowed, "Don't
rallies as a manifestation of be few and far between of his supporters to attend made. But, after his speech, forget to vote!"
the reopening he's preach- for Trump, who prefers large gatherings. Biden remained inside the Earlier this week, however,
ing and that he believes the deafening echo and For someone who has building to attend a virtual Biden took a moment after
is vital to the economic air conditioning of indoor never been a natural in an fundraiser, then abruptly an event focused on labor
recovery and what vot- arenas. But in the wake of arena, the smaller events left to pass out pizzas at a leaders at a supporter's
ers want. In a dig at those a June rally in Tulsa, Okla- allow Biden to have more nearby firehouse without house in Lancaster, Penn-
who warn against reopen- homa, when the president personal interactions with approaching the support- sylvania, to greet a crowd
ing too quickly, Trump sug- addressed a half-empty representatives from impor- ers. of about two dozen sup-
gested that these states arena and a promised five- tant voting blocs, including Three days later, after Bi- porters that had assembled
would suddenly reopen figure overflow crowd nev- labor and community lead- den visited Kenosha, Wis- across the street. Flanked
the day after the election, er materialized, his cam- ers. consin, he and his wife, Jill, by Secret Service agents,
when opponents advocat- paign decided to move to But they also allow him to stopped at the home of a Biden said a few words to
ing caution can no longer lower-stakes airport hang- largely avoid any contro- supporter in Wauwatosa, a the crowd about his belief
hurt his reelection. ars and tarmacs. versy created by a criti- Milwaukee suburb. that Americans can do
At the same time, it has pit The one thing that has cal questioner or a pro- With so many people con- anything when they're uni-
the president against the stayed the same: crow- tester, both of whom he fined to their homes, the fied and about the need to
public health advice issued ing about his crowd sizes in was forced to grapple with presence of Biden's motor- vote, then spoke briefly to
by his own administration comparison with Biden's. multiple times when cam- cade on a small street drew reporters and departed.
and drawn criticism from "If he had 200 people, I paigning before the pan- more than 200 people out Later that day, Biden
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the na- think it would be a lot," demic. onto their porches or the waved at a crowd of
tion's top infectious disease Trump said Tuesday of his Even when Biden is con- street. The Bidens spent about 100 from the window
expert. Fauci told CBS on opponent. "Have you ever fronted with organic more than half an hour of the AFL-CIO Pennsylva-
Wednesday that he is frus- seen the gyms with the cir- crowds of supporters, he's meeting in a quiet back nia headquarters, but de-
trated by Trump's return to cles? That's his crowd. If he rarely given the opportuni- patio with two teachers clined to come any nearer
campaigning. "We want to had 200 people." ty for an unscripted interac- and a parent concerned after leaving the building.
set an example," he said of Biden's crowds, in fact, tion with them. about how to resume in- This story has been correct-
those in leadership. have been far smaller. The As Biden gave a speech person learning during the ed to show that Michigan's
White House press secre- former vice president has last week focused on the pandemic. guidelines are 10 people in-
tary Kayleigh McEnany appeared in public spar- Trump administration's re- The crowd cheered and doors, not 50.q