BRENHAM SCHOOL BOARD HEARS COVID-19 UPDATE FROM LOCAL HEALTH, EMERGENCY OFFICIALS

  

Several local health and emergency officials spoke Monday night with the Brenham School Board about ongoing COVID-19 developments.

Washington County’s health authority Dr. William Loesch, EMS Director Kevin Deramus, and Emergency Management Coordinator Bryan Ruemke all gave updates to the board on what is known about the virus and what is being done to stop its potential spread.

Dr. Loesch said this situation continues to rapidly change, with his team learning new things about the virus hourly.  He said he believes Brenham ISD was “very right” to shut the schools down when they did, but thinks the closures may end up lasting longer than just one week.

Board President Natalie Lange asked Dr. Loesch how prepared the county is for community spread of the virus, to which he replied “I think we’re prepared as we can be for something like this”.  He said there’s a lot of panic going around, but what is needed right now is logic and calm.  He said this is a scary virus that can cause some serious illness, but the vast majority of patients are going to feel like they have the common cold.

Dr. Loesch said he believes his team has done about as much preparation as it can with the resources it has, with resources being limited for everyone.  Deramus echoed that statement, saying EMS has worked closely with Baylor Scott and White and is preparing for all possibilities.  He said, in this situation, it’s a case of “plan for the worst, hope for the best”.

Dr. Loesch reiterated the importance of educating parents about making sure children know that just because they are off from school, it is not a holiday.  He said this is a time to “go home, stay home”, unless people absolutely need to be somewhere.

Dr. Loesch said, while there are still no confirmed cases in Washington County, this is one of those diseases people could spread before they know they have it.  He said this will hit the Brenham community whether people like it or not, saying it’s not a matter of if, but when.

He said, however, life cannot proceed normally, as the virus would “take over” and “completely overwhelm” local medical systems.  By limiting the spread of people, he said the spread of the virus through the community is very much slowed down.  He said a vaccine is still in the works, but it will likely be a year or two before it is deployed.

Lange asked Deramus how many ventilators there are in the hospital system in Brenham, to which he said about 18 total.  He said just like most schools are not built for a 10 percent increase in students instantaneously, most hospitals are not meant to take on an extra 5 percent in patients.  He said that kind of increase would just “devastate the healthcare system”.  He said, when the first case gets to Washington County, health officials will do what they can to isolate it.

Dr. Loesch said the death numbers are not the ones to focus on, but rather the number of people who need to be hospitalized.  He said there is hope, but not certainty, that warmer weather will abate the situation.

When asked when the district would make a follow-up announcement about classes in the coming weeks, Superintendent Dr. Walter Jackson said the district will be thorough, but timely, when making its decision.

 

Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction Dr. Jamey Johnson discussed the virus’s impact on the education front, saying while the district knows that the state’s STAAR testing requirements will be waived, it has not heard about what will be done in regards to accountability ratings.  She admitted that education is going to look a little different for a while, but not necessarily in a bad way.

Brenham ISD Child Nutrition Director Sandra Baxter spoke on the drive-thru lunches served at Alton Elementary School Monday.  Baxter said approximately 217 hot lunches were served at the drive-thru, which as of today (Tuesday) will begin serving breakfast in addition to lunch.  She said the district is exploring options to bring food out into the community to other locations.

Communications Director Jessica Johnston said a Houston field reporter and photographer from the New York Times will be coming to Alton Elementary School around 1 p.m. today to do a story on how school closures are impacting low-income families, and what school districts and communities are doing to try to fill in the gaps.  She said this will be a great way to showcase Brenham ISD being “at the ready” in this situation.

Also in session, the board approved the employment of Kim Rocka as principal of Brenham Elementary School.  Dr. Jackson said Rocka has 23 years of education experience, 13 of which in Brenham ISD as an assistant principal and principal at Brenham Elementary School.

The board then adjourned into executive session to discuss personnel matters.  No action was taken.