Health

Some parents are concerned about student safety now that Boston is a red zone for COVID-19

BOSTON — Anita Saint Fleur says one of her daughters starts school on Thursday.

And news that Boston is now a designated red zone does have her concerned, though she is excited for their return to in-person learning.

“It’s important for them to have that social interaction. I am kind of monitoring the numbers as well too," she said.

She’s not alone.

Pat Murphy has three kids in Boston schools and they’re still remote. The prospect of them not going back due to a rise in COVID cases is concerning. Murphy says, “Obviously. it’s not ideal.”

But Boston students will start returning to the classroom tomorrow despite Boston now being a red zone, according to Superintendent Dr. Brenda Casselius. In a Boston School Committee Zoom meeting on Wednesday, she said, “That the threshold for moving BPS to all-remote learning would be an infection rate of 4 percent city-wide. Anything above 4 percent would require closing. But we are not there yet.”

She adds that Boston’s guidelines are stricter than the state’s saying, “Guidance from the state suggests a shift to remote learning after three weeks of being in the red zone.”

That kind of guidance is a comfort to parent’s like Saint Fleur.

“But I felt a little more confident with the precautionary measures her school was taking individually,” she said.

Murphy agrees and told Boston 25 that so far Boston Public Schools seem to be making the right choices for his kid’s safety. He adds, “I’m going trust what they’re saying. If they’re saying 4 percent is the number, I don’t know. I have faith in them.”

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