David Cordero has spent much of his professional life recently installing Plexiglass barriers, washbasins and other safety measures at Santa Rosa school, where he works in the maintenance department. On Monday, these security measures extended to a quick blow to his left deltoid.
“Did not hurt. Everything was fine, ”he said.
Cordero, who works at Sonoma Country Day School, was one of about 100 people who received the first of two doses of the Modern coronavirus vaccine on Monday through an inoculation clinic set up by the Sonoma County Department of Education which targets, among others, school officials and daycare centers.
For educators, the focus on vaccinating teachers and school staff marks a significant step towards the reopening of campuses, after almost a year of distance learning for the 68,000 students in kindergarten in transition to 12th grade.
“Everyone is very excited to see the light at the end of the tunnel,” said Jeff Harding, a retired superintendent for the Healdsburg Unified School District who was assigned to oversee SCOE’s vaccination program. “This is a significant step in bringing all of our students back to the classroom and 11 months have gone by, and the faster we can vaccinate everyone, the better.”
While educators lined up for vaccines, the county passed a second critical milestone on Monday: for the fifth consecutive day, the adjusted 7-day case rate per 100,000 residents was below 25, according to public health officials. The state requires counties to reach this limit for five consecutive days to return from preschool to sixth grade for modified face-to-face learning.
“We know that many parents would like to have the option of receiving face-to-face instruction for their children,” said county public health officer, Dr. Sundari Mase, at a news conference on Monday. “We hope to be able to get there if our case rate remains low.”
In addition to the county meeting the case rate limit, schools and districts must have their COVID Security Plans approved by county and state public health officials. Approximately 15 security plans are being reviewed by county officials, according to Adam Radtke, a deputy county councilor.
Although the head of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that vaccines are not needed to reopen schools, it is hoped that the creation of a dedicated clinic for educators, school staff and daycare centers will help to talk to officials unions on how and when to return to campus.
The smooth start at the SCOE clinic at Rancho Cotate High School in Rohnert Park on Monday is expected to pick up speed on Tuesday and by the end of the week, going from 100 doses given on Monday to approximately 300 a day at the end of the week. week for a total of 1,100 shots, said Harding.
SCOE officials are pushing for greater distribution of the vaccine in the coming weeks, but the amount depends on what is given to the county and how it is distributed to multiple suppliers.
“It is really dependent on the supply and the health department and whether they get paid enough to pass it on to us,” said Harding. “We are hopeful.”
But county officials, as they have been doing since the early days of vaccination, have asked for patience. The need in Sonoma County and elsewhere far outweighs the amount of vaccines that were sent to the county.
“Mathematics is against us,” said county vaccine chief, Dr. Urmila Shende, at a news conference on Monday. “Everyone is dealing with a scant supply of vaccine.”
SCOE is initially targeted at school staff aged 70 and over, along with educators of any age who currently have direct contact with students, including teachers, caretakers, administrative support staff and meal service workers. Instructors at Santa Rosa Junior College and Sonoma State University who offer face-to-face classes also qualify.
The second priority group will be expanded to include all pre-school and sixth grade staff – grade levels prioritized in Governor Gavin Newsom’s “Safe Schools for All” campaign to return to face-to-face instruction.
On Monday, Michele Edwards, from Santa Rosa, was mostly relieved. Edwards had to leave his day care business from eight to two children, as customers moved or stopped sending their children to their home operation. Receiving the first dose of the vaccine was a step in the right direction for her and her company.
“I’ve been waiting for this. I’m excited, ”said Edwards moments after receiving his photo. “I will feel more free. We will still have to wear masks and we will still have to be safe … but I can breathe a little better knowing that the vaccine will help. “
The same is true with Cordero. Its campus, Sonoma Country Day School, received a state waiver to return to face-to-face classes in November. He’s installing physical security equipment, but the vaccine was something different.
“It’s exciting that we are finally launching the vaccine,” said Cordero. “We were told to choose the earliest (consultation). It was available, so I came today. “
Harding said the system is ready to take on more daily appointments – after all, there are 17,200 people in Sonoma County who work in schools or day care centers.
“I believe that we will see an increase in supply,” he said. “It was 1,100 this week and next week we expect that number to be much higher.”
You can contact editor Kerry Benefield at 707-526-8671 or [email protected]. On Twitter @benefield.