Smoke closed 120 schools in California last September. A plume from Canadian wildfires closed schools across the Northeast in early June. Concentrations can be five times higher or more indoors than they are outdoors, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.Īnd smoke is an increasing threat. Indoor air may be contaminated not just by pathogens, but also by a range of pollutants like carbon monoxide, radon and lead particles.
The pandemic prompted the federal funding, but the problem is bigger than the coronavirus. “I cannot believe the amount of money that is still unspent,” Dr. Some school officials simply may not know that the funds are available.
#NC LOCKDOWN AGAIN UPDATE#
According to a 2020 analysis by the Government Accountability Office, about 41 percent of school districts needed to update or replace the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems in at least half of their schools, about 36,000 buildings in all.Īmong the reasons: a lack of clear federal guidance on cleaning indoor air, no senior administration official designated to oversee such a campaign, few experts to help the schools spend the funds wisely, supply chain delays for new equipment, and insufficient staff to maintain improvements that are made. The average American school building is about 50 years old. The coronavirus is an airborne threat, and the incidence of Covid was about 40 percent lower in schools that improved air quality, one study found. The shutdowns sent educational achievement tumbling, disrupted the lives of millions of American families, and set off a wave of anger, particularly among conservatives, that has not subsided.Īs the next presidential election gathers steam, extended school closures and remote learning have become a centerpiece of the Republican argument that the pandemic was mishandled, the subject of repeated hearings in the House of Representatives and a barrage of academic papers on learning loss and mental health disorders among children.īut scientists who study viral transmission see another lesson in the pandemic school closures: Had the indoor air been cleaner and safer, they may have been avoidable. The pandemic led to repeated closures at tens of thousands of schools across the nation. An outbreak that began in November 2021 sickened more than 500 students - about one in five - and 65 staff members, one of whom died. Poorly ventilated spaces offer ideal transmission conditions for the coronavirus, and at the height of the pandemic, schools like East High were a searing point of controversy.
#NC LOCKDOWN AGAIN WINDOWS#
“We were supposed to have the windows open,” he said. So he left the school when it first closed, in March 2020, and did not return for more than a year, staying home during later virus surges. Oxman, 65 and a cancer survivor, feared getting sick or carrying the virus to his 101-year-old father. East High is Denver’s largest high school and among the oldest, and there is no modern ventilation system.Īs the pandemic broke out, Mr. The ceiling fans were off to prevent the sheet music from scattering. Police have not yet confirmed the suspect's name.On a sunny afternoon in a cluttered music room at East High in Denver, two sophomores practiced violin while their music teacher, Keith Oxman, labored over a desk in an adjoining office. That same picture can be seen as the profile image on an Instagram profile, Twitter account and a bio on the University's website, all for a student named Tailei Qi. The University of North Carolina police had warned the public to stay away from a person of interest who is reported to be a science graduate of the university. The campus is moving to Condition 2 until midnight tomorrow.” "In response, we have cancelled classes and all campus events for the rest of the day on Monday, Aug. Our hearts are with the family of our fellow faculty member, those who are personally connected to the victim and those traumatized by this senseless act of violence. We will work to rebuild that trust and safety. Kevin Guskiewicz, chancellor of the university, confirmed the tragic news that one member of its staff has died, he said: “This shooting damages the trust and safety that we so often take for granted on our campus. Resume normal activities." All classes have been cancelled for the day. Students have began evacuating the campus after an all-clear was issued by authorities as the university tweeted: "All clear, All clear. A gunman has been arrested by cops after one faculty member was killed and another person wounded following an active shooter at the University of North Carolina - forcing students and staff to lockdown.
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