What is the most recent COVID-19 disease statistical data of Morristown NJ (number of cases, hospitalizations, deaths)?  What is the data for New Jersey as a whole?  What is the mortality rate of COVID-19?

Morristown

• 6601 cases in Morristown today 

• 631 deaths 

New Jersey 

• 165,346 cases in New Jersey

• 8082 hospitalizations 

• 12,377 deaths 

• Mortality rate is 1.3%

• The data for New Jersey as a whole has had an overall decrease in the number of cases that are being hospitalized by 65%.

Does COVID-19 affect people differently based on gender, ethnicity or socioeconomic class, and if so how? What is the data? More hospitalizations? More deaths? 

• In New Jersey 740 of the patients that are currently in intensive care and out of the 740, 564 are on ventilators. People who live in a densely populated area are finding it harder to practice social distancing. This can cause a higher number of positive cases in that area. 

• The vast majority of people contracting the virus are between the ages of 30-79. People with pre-existing medical conditions are at a much greater risk of dying from the virus. Data suggest that men may be more susceptible to contracting the virus than women are. China CDC found that for every 100 women, 106 men had contracted the virus

How has social distancing changed the trajectory of the virus?  Has it made a difference?  If so how.  What would the data look like without social distancing? 

• Social distancing, although it has not completely stopped the spread of the virus, it has exponentially slowed it down. Over these last few months, as people stayed 6 feet apart from one another, did not gather in large groups, and stayed out of crowded places, the spread of the virus has dramatically slowed down. Without the social distancing and implementing other strategies, scientists predict about 7 billion people would’ve been infected and around 40 million deaths for 2020 alone. 

What are the steps that schools need to take in the fall to maintain the safety and health of students and staff members in order to reopen?  Be very specific.  Remember you are providing the plan for schools.  How will you maintain social distancing?  Will the school day look different?  Will it be a combination of distance learning and in school learning? 

• In order to maintain the safety and health of students and staff members in order to reopen schools, there are many safety measures that must be taken. It should be necessary for all students to have their temperatures taken each day, along with limited numbers of students per class, and a mask requirement. In addition to this, we can maintain social distancing through online classes and small classrooms in which the students can sit 6 feet apart. The school day can continue as normal but many classes will be offered online. Students who cannot get on-campus housing due to the student limitations can take all online classes if requested.

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