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Community Matters

  • March 19, 2021 UPDATE: CDC releases new guidance on "Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in K-12 schools"

      

    • Consistent with recommendations from WHO and the American Academy of Pediatrics, using a distance of at least 3 feet between students in classrooms could provide a feasible definition of physical distancing so long as other prevention measures are maximized. 
    • U.S. schools indicates that even when students were placed less than 6 feet apart in classrooms, there was limited SARS-CoV-2 transmission when other layered prevention strategies were consistently maintained; notably, masking and student cohorts.
    • Recommended physical distance between adults in schools is still 6 feet.
    • Removed recommendation for physical barriers.
    • Clarified that ventilation is a component of strategies to clean and maintain healthy facilities.

     

    ASD’s planning and decision-making process for determining the District’s risk level for conducting school takes multiple community factors into consideration. The District conducts this process in close conversation with the Municipality of Anchorage and the State of Alaska Department of Health and Social Services. 

  • Primary Indicators and Thresholds - CDC Guidelines issued February 2021

    Anchorage as of 5/7

    Indicator Lowest
    Transmission    		 Low
    Transmission
    Blue    		 Moderate
    Transmission
    Yellow    		 Substantial
    Transmission
    Orange    		 High
    Transmission
    Red
    Total new cases per 100,000 persons in the past 7 days** Category no longer exists.
    It has been
    merged into
    one low
    transmission
    (blue) category.    		 0-9 10-49

    50-99

    74

    ≥100
    Percentage of NAATs that are positive in the past 7 days***

    <5.0%

    1.65%

    		 5.0%-7.9% 8.0%-9.9% ≥10.0%

     

    *If the two indicators suggest different levels, the actions corresponding to the higher threshold should be chosen. County-level data on total new cases in the past 7 days and test percent positivity are available on the County View tab in CDC’s COVID Data Tracker.

     

    **Total number of new cases per 100,000 persons in the past 7 days is calculated by adding the number of new cases in the county (or other community type) in the last 7 days divided by the population in the county (or other community type) and multiplying by 100,000.

     

    ***Percentage of positive diagnostic and screening NAATs during the last 7 days is calculated by dividing the number of positive tests in the county (or other administrative level) during the last 7 days by the total number of tests results over the last 7 days. Additional information can be found on the Calculating Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Laboratory Test Percent Positivity: CDC Methods and Considerations for Comparisons and Interpretation webpage.

  • Download a printable version of this chart 

     

    INDICATORS

     

    Lowest risk of transmission in schools

     

    Lower risk of transmission in schools

     

    Moderate risk of transmission in schools

     

    Higher risk of transmission in schools

     

    Highest risk of transmission in schools

    CORE INDICATORSASD Data as of 5/7

    Number of new cases per 100,000 persons within the last 14 days*

    <5

    5 to <20

    20 to <50

    50 to ≤ 200

    158

    >200

    Percentage of positive RT-PCR tests during the last 14 days**

    <3%

    1.7%

    3% to <5%

    5% to <8%

     8% to ≤ 10%

     >10%

    Ability of the school to implement 5 key mitigation strategies:

    • Consistent and correct use of masks

    • Social distancing to the largest extent possible

    • Hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette

    • Cleaning and disinfection

    • Contact tracing in collaboration with local health department

    Schools should adopt the additional mitigation measures outlined below to the extent possible, practical and feasible.

    Implemented all 5 strategies correctly and consistently

    Implemented all 5 strategies correctly but inconsistently

    Implemented 3-4 strategies correctly and consistently

    YES

    Implemented 1-2 strategies correctly and consistently

    Implemented no strategies

    SECONDARY INDICATORS

    Percent change in new cases per 100,000 population during the last 7 days compared with the previous 7 days (negative values indicate improving trends)

    <-10%

    -17.4%

    -10% to <-5%

    -5% to <0%

    0% to ≤ 10%

    >10%

    Percentage of occupied adult hospital inpatient beds in the community***

    <80%

    <80%

    80 to 90%

    90%

    >90%

    >90%

    Total percentage of occupied hospital inpatient beds in the community***

    <80%

    <80%

    79%

    80 to 90%

    >90%

    >90%

    Percentage of occupied adult intensive care unit beds in the community that are occupied*** 

    <80%

    <80%

    80 to 90%

    90%

    >90%

    >90%

    Total percentage of occupied intensive care unit beds in the community*** 

    <80%

    <80%

    77%

     

    80 to 90%

    >90%

    >90%

     

    Percentage of occupied hospital inpatient beds in the community by patients with COVID-19***

    <5%

    2.9%

    5% to <10%

    10% to 15%

    >15%

    >15%

    Existence of localized community/public setting COVID-19 outbreak****

    No

    No

    		 Yes Yes

    Yes

     

    *Number of new cases per 100,000 persons within the last 14 days is calculated by adding the number of new cases in the county (or other community type) in the last 14 days divided by the population in the county (or other community type) and multiplying by 100,000.

     

    **Percentage of RT-PCR tests in the community (e.g., county) that are positive during the last 14 days is calculated by dividing the number of positive tests over the last 14 days by the total number of tests resulted over the last 14 days. Diagnostic tests are viral (RT-PCR) diagnostic and screening laboratory tests (excludes antibody testing and RT-PCR testing for surveillance purposes). Learn more on the Calculating Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Laboratory Test Percent Positivity: CDC Methods and Considerations for Comparisons and Interpretation webpage.

     

    ***Hospital beds and ICU beds occupied: These indicators are proxies for underlying community burden and the ability of the local healthcare system to support additional people with severe illness, including those with COVID-19. A community can be defined at the city, county or metro area level; federal analyses of hospital utilization rates within a community are typically conducted at the core-based statistical area (e.g., by metropolitan or micropolitan status).

     

    **** Sudden increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in a localized community or geographic area as determined by the local and state health department.

     

    Download a printable version of this chart

     

  • ASD will monitor the community COVID data on a daily basis; however, District risk-level decisions will be made every two weeks. The risk level will be subject to change based on direction from the Municipality or State.