Hello and welcome to PBS39 and WLVT.

Community update on coronavirus.

It's presented by Capital Blue and brought to you with help from our community partner Lehigh Valley Health Network.

We are live from the PPE Public Media Center in Bethlehem I'm Brittany Sweeney.

Our guests today include an infectious disease doctor from LVHN.

We'll also be joined by an elementary school teacher eager to get more of her students back into the classroom.

They'll be with us in just a moment.

If you have a question, please give us a call.

The numbers 4 8 4 8 2 1 0 0 0 8.

Our guest will answer some of your questions live.

Plus, for daily coronavirus updates, be sure to sign up for our newsletter.

You can do that at our website coronavirus Lehigh Valley .org.

You can find helpful information there in both English and Spanish.

Now let's take a look at today's top headlines.

Governor Tom Wolf took a bold step today, promising Pennsylvanians in Phase 1 a vaccine delivery that they would have a shot or an appointment by the end of this month.

Wolf said he was encouraged by greater supply of vaccine and support from the federal government based on the progress we've made in the supply projections.

The federal government has provided.

We're announcing our commitment to the people of Pennsylvania that to the extent we can do it, the point minutes are going to be scheduled by the end of March.

For those in Phase 1A who want to receive a vaccine, every single one not not clear is exactly who will ensure that people can get appointments.

Since so many residents, especially seniors, say they've been unable to.

The state is requiring vaccine providers to make best efforts to schedule all eligible residents.

Pennsylvania's program to vaccinate teachers and other school workers is under way now 10 of the school clinics are up and running and 10 more are opening today.

Elementary school workers go first receiving the single dose.

Johnson and Johnson vaccines.

Now the plan is to reserve all of Pennsylvanians early JNJ shipments for school workers and have them all vaccinated by the end of this month.

The Allentown School District is the last one in the Lehigh Valley still completely virtual.

But that is changing.

It plans to begin hybrid learning for elementary students part time on April 19th, April 26, the for middle and high school students.

The school board approved the plan last night.

It includes social distancing mask mandates.

Students in the Lehigh Valley's largest school district have been learning remote only since the school year began.

Last night, President Joe Biden outlined a plan to make all adults eligible for vaccination by May 1st, He also set a goal of beginning to gain what he called, quote, independence from the virus by the Fourth of July.

Biden addressed the nation in primetime.

He said the only way to get back to normal is to beat the virus.

And he called on all Americans to help.

A new Associted Press poll finds that a year into the pandemic, 19% of Americans have lost a close friend or relative to the virus.

That figure is even higher for black and Hispanic Americans.

Three in 10 say they've lost someone close.

67% of people are at least somewhat worried contracting Covid-19 and two thirds of the public also think Americans have not taken the pandemic seriously.

Enough.

It's time now to meet our guest for the day.

Dr Luther Rhodes is a familiar face.

He's been with us from the start of the pandemic, providing great information and advice.

Also with us is Laurie Ruzek, an elementary school teacher from the Bethlehem area School District.

Thank you both so much for joining us.

Ms Ruzek, we will be with you in just a few minutes.

We're going to start today with Dr Rhodes.

Thanks again, Dr Rhodes, for joining us.

Now.

Thank you, Renee, for having me again.

Dr Words of Hope last night from President Biden.

Then this afternoon Governor Wolf saying Everyone in phase 1A who wants a vaccine should have an appointment by the end of the month as we know, Pennsylvania has been in the first phase for three months now.

I guess my first question is, do we have the infrastructure to make this happen?

Well, great question.

I have the same question in my mind.

I certainly am not privy to the details of the infrastructure rollout within the state, but I fully support what they're attempting to do.

I would support any plan to increase vaccine or the residents of Pennsylvania for my patients and family and friends.

I hear every day people text me and email me about their frustration over not getting vaccine, but then I get the other emails and text messages telling me how good someone feels that they just got their vaccine.

It seems people quickly forget their frustration.

But to your question, your goals are ambitious, but that's what a pandemic of this magnitude requires.

Dr Rose.

We've seen somewhat of an increase in vaccine allotments and supply.

Are you confident that the ramp up of these allotments will help meet some of those goals Gamma Well, I can only say █that the industry as big as the pharmaceutical and the vaccine industry is, they've been out for months.

So we should be in product rolling off out of the factories on a daily basis.

It's common sense.

I think that after the slowdowns and pauses during phase early parts of phase one, a rollout was made worse by weather and uncertainty on everybody's part about how to physically distribute a lot of vaccine from the vantage point of public health resources.

And so on.

I can I see positive, hopeful information, but I know a practical level help how challenging it's been for networks like our own Lehigh Valley Health Network.

We have the ability to give a lot of vaccine, but to do that you have to have physically a lot of vaccine and I think that's where we are right now.

We're all hopeful.

I would say to the public I would be give a real story, reassuring message that there is a good infrastructure at least Tim Murtaugh Lehigh Valley to improve the rollout of vaccine and availability to those who want the vaccine.

That's good to hear.

Dr Rhodes, I just want to take a minute and talk about the coronavirus and case counts.

From what I understand, you've seen an uptick in cases of the coronavirus here in the Lehigh Valley.

Do you know why?

And can you talk to us a little bit about that Gamma Well, we talked about a week ago and the news was just great about the release of new vaccines and then like everyone else, I was very optimistic by is still optimistic, but I'm realistic.

I spend most of my days doing telemedicine evaluations on patients and other counties who have new Covid interactions.

And after perhaps a lull a week ago this week had been visible.

So I guess not.

It's too early to have trend, but there's no question that Covid area, it's not time yet to let our guard down.

Sure.

Dr Rhodes, are you seeing any of the variants that we've heard about Gamma Sorry to cut out.

There was a brief pause.

Repeat the question, please.

Sure.

Absolutely.

Have you seen any of the variants of the coronavirus coming through the Lehigh Valley Berks Gamma Well, we just started locally after sending specimens off to be 20%%.

They say, well, we can look at Lehigh Valley and give you a precise numbers, but we can look at the regional trends.

It's clear that there have been variants in Lehigh County Luzerne County Monroe County.

Schuylkill county.

How many?

Not sure.

I hope.

I really hope that this little uptick that we're seeing this week is not a reflection of variance though talking to the people who have become infected.

They're exposure.

It hasn't been unusual there often family clusters and I think is it sort of reminds me of Covid as it's always bad.

It starts in a family member and then spreads.

So what part is contributed to by a variant is not clear.

And I do know that the vaccine data is quite good for coverage for various not perfect but Encourage people who can get vaccinate to do so and not worry about putting it off because of variance or waiting for the best future vaccine.

The current vaccines do a pretty good job of covering the known variants.

Do you think it's because of all these promising headlines that people are letting their guard down?

I know it's so nice outside.

People want to get out there and start kind of living their lives after a year of almost lockdown.

Do you think this has contributed contributing to that uptake uptick Gamma Well, truth be told about this time yesterday, maybe a little later, I wish without the bicycle part myself and noticed that I was there.

There was a crowd then and people were out with their families, but they were there in crowds, if you will.

Maybe 20% had masks on.

You know, there didn't present did not, Ben.

So I was concerned.

I thought to myself, I'm riding a bicycle.

Should I put a mask on or not?

I did ultimately blow uncertain, but I can tell you the majority of people I saw were having a good time.

You could see they hadn't seen each other for a while.

But there were groups of tall 15 and 20.

So I think we need to sort of just enjoy the good weather but keep our distance for right now.

Sure.

And I have a similar question, a same Patty's Day is next week.

Last year a lot of the celebrations were canceled this year.

Governor Wolf saying he's not putting more restrictions in place.

What should people remember if they didn't want to go out and celebrate Gamma Well, that's a good question.

I think the social distancing and then rules we all know it's certainly still apply.

We know that with vaccine you're certainly safer, too.

If you will get together with other people who have had vaccines and with again, with restrictions of common sense visiting and being interactive with people who do not have vaccination but who don't have high risk for complicated Covid, that's a tough message to digest.

But if you're a grandparent and want to visit your Rancho.

And these are your grandchildren or your own children have been vaccinated.

Is it safe to go?

The answer is if you're vaccinated grandparent the answer is yes.

But if one of your children or one of your grandchildren has complicated medical problems and have not been vaccinated, the answer would be I would not recommend that does.

But for most people most of the time that is the grand prise Dublin incentive to get vaccinated.

You'll see restrictions are going to continue to roll back as more and more people are successfully vaccinated to vaccines for the Pfizer Moderna one JNJ.

Sure.

Dr Rhodes, of course the president coming out last night with a kind of hopeful tone.

We've seen some promising signs over the past few weeks that we're moving in the right direction.

Is this helpful for people's mental health?

I know we've been all bracing throughout the past year, bracing for the bad news.

Are we OK to let our guard down and kind of be hopeful Gamma Well, I think one of the painful lessons over the last year for all of us has been to not likes and dislikes, get in the middle of a pandemic.

I mean, both sides have been burned badly by attempting to I say politicized data on both sides attacking our law or whatever.

But that doesn't pay off.

We want our leaders to be successful, of course.

That's their job.

And I would back any positive, thoughtful voice who has a plan.

And then in its execution is his transparent with us about what's going right, what's not going right.

I think that if you will, trumps everything else that we can say about the politics, it's tough to say the word trumps any politics.

Much.

But if you get the sense that we have to be transparent, frank with people, we all need to check politics at the door.

Health is way too important to to waste energy on the wrong thing.

I support any governor, president, county leader, state, etc who has a plan to help us deal with vaccine distribution and equitable distribution.

Sure.

I think we all want to get out of this together.

Speaking of vaccine distribution, LVHN had a nuther mass clinic yesterday at Dorney Park.

3600 people getting their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.

Talk to us a little bit about how that event went.

It was the third one, I believe at Dorney Park and we just wanna know how that went.

And if you think there'll be another one, we'll certainly put their plans to do more.

Nobody has worked Berks about mass vaccination.

Through drive thru then done.

Lehigh Valley has been doing for 2023 years.

Thousands.

So we have good experience.

The weather is cooperating as I understand things yesterday when went very well.

A lot of volunteer effort which is the key thing you need is a lot of volunteers skillful volunteers.

And the other is again safe if you will.

Security entry ways and so on.

All Securitas, it's a pretty good example of how to give mass immunization and then for my understanding, things went very well and certainly more.

Our panel.

Sure.

Dr Luther Rhodes from Lehigh Valley Health Network, as always, thank you for joining today.

And we continue this community update on coronavirus on PBS39.

You can hear the rebroadcast on the radio tonight at 9:30 on Nonny 1 3 WLVT.

Now let's bring in our next guest, Laurie Ruzek.

Is a fifth grade teacher at Lincoln Elementary School in Bethlehem.

She has been in the classroom with a small group of in-person students, but that's about to change.

A lot to talk about here, Laurie.

First off, a big thank you to you and all the teachers for your hard work this year.

It definitely hasn't been easy, I'm sure, for you.

Let's actually start there.

What's it been like?

How are your students doing?

How are you and your colleagues holding up Gamma It has an interesting and tough year.

I would say we in Bethlehem we're working with the hybrid classes so I only deal with half of my class at any time.

I happen to be pretty lucky.

I only have eight in each group.

So it's a very manageable group to social distance.

And I also have fifth grade which is nice and manageable for wearing masks and following all of our rules about keeping apart in the hallway.

It hasn't been too bad.

I think my colleagues that teach kindergarten and first grade, they have a whole other set of issues that they are dealing with.

And I'm not going to say it's been easy.

It has been a year in fact, in class today.

We took a moment to say, wow, one year ago today we left school and we did not come back.

So we just took that moment to say, wow, it's been a whole year for I can't believe it's been a whole year.

Has it been hard to balance the kids who are in the classes versus the kids who are virtual and learning virtual?

Is that.

Is it hard to do teach half the class in person and half the class via computer Gamma Well, the way it is difficult because we set up slides for the children or assignments to the children to virtually when they're at home.

So essentially the children that are in school are getting a normal full day of school and the children that are home that day are expected to go on to the computer and complete their assignments on their own.

Except for Mondays when we meet together virtually all together as a class.

So honestly, three days out of the week, the children are home going through these assignments on their own.

It's basically you have some children do all the work at everything in, you know, families checking the work and then you have different degrees.

Some students aren't getting everything done.

Some students aren't doing anything.

And that's why it's essential that we get these kids back into school because we need kids to be getting the same level and the same amount of education.

Sure.

I was just going to ask you, do you see a difference in the kids who are in school versus the kids who are learning remotely Gamma Absolutely.

I mean, when you're in person, the kids, you know, you walk by, somebody starts and you say, hey, get back to work.

And you can monitor and you know, just being with kids.

I mean, that's what teachers want to do.

And when you're not with the children, you have virtually no control.

And you know, some people don't have parents even monitoring at home.

You know, I have 11-year-old children, some of them are on their own or with an older brother or sister and they are not monitoring that.

Things are done.

And so we have a lot of dichotomy there has and have nots.

It's what I call them.

So some children are just now getting it done and getting a decent full fledged education and some students are not.

And we just have to level the playing field.

Sure.

What have you heard from the parents?

Are they struggling with this APS Gamma Absolutely.

Especially in fifth grade when we have fifth grade maths and it's hard for parents to support their kids, their working, they have other, you know, responsibilities or other children at home.

And then, you know, they're basically being asked to be a teacher three days a week at home.

I understand it is just it's a lot it's a lot for everybody.

This whole pandemic, right.

It's just been everybody's kind of stepping out of their comfort zones and it's very challenging for a lot parents.

They're tired.

They work different shifts.

And, you know, imagine working a huge long shift coming home and then you have to monitor 5th grade homework.

I mean, it's not fun.

You know, I can't imagine it's not fun.

But I do think that there's kind of a light at the end of the tunnel.

We have a lot of these promising signs, people getting vaccinated.

chance to speak with Dr Joseph Roy.

The Superintend of Bethlehem Area School District.

Here's what he had to say about the role vaccinating school workers plays in getting kids back into the classroom.

The vaccine wasn't a prerequisite for us to do that.

But it's certainly raised our hopes and raised our confidence in the safety of doing that.

Because now because state program, every person who works in an elementary school in Bethlehem.

So that's the you know, the custodians, the lunch ladies, the teachers, the aides, the principals, everybody in the building has the opportunity to be vaccinate through the state program prior to our target date, which is in April, to come back four more days a week.

All right.

Let's talk about that, of course, everyone excited by the chance for more in-person learning.

I'm wondering, do you think there's a fear by some parents or teachers coming back to the classroom?

And how do you balance that fear Gamma Definitely.

There's fear on many levels.

We're not going to be able to do the social distancing that we are able to do with these half sized classes.

You know, what are the logistics?

What is the hallway look like?

Where does the lunchroom look like?

At this point?

Children have a snack in here or they're unmasked.

How do we monitor on mass times?

What does contact tracing look like when we have know more exposure Gamma What does the outside play look like when we have more children out together?

In our playing area?

So many concerns on the safety front.

And I have to say from a teacher's point of view, a lot of concerns about my class or is meshing together.

We almost have to start over where you build community in your classroom and you get the children to get to know each other.

I have two very distinct classes, two very different person buddies and now boom, in April we're bringing them all together.

And I think that children are worried about it, too.

I've even heard my students say, oh, I no one hybrid a to come back I ever be.

You know, there are lots of concerns, lots of fears.

Change is hard, especially three quarters of the year in it's it's going to be a big jump, a big leap.

I know that my colleagues and I are we're ready to do it.

We want to make sure that everybody's safe and make it happen.

But definitely challenging, definitely an adjustment.

And Lori, let's talk about vaccination and getting vaccinated.

I understand you're already vaccinated and now it's open to so many teachers to get vaccinated, especially the younger students.

How does that play a role in all of this?

Does it make you and your colleagues that you've spoke to about this?

Does it make you feel any more comfortable that you are vaccinated and have a little bit more protection as you're heading into more in-person learning?

Absolutely.

I would have really been concerned not to be vaccinated.

And I know that I've spoken to many colleagues are very happy that we are getting the vaccinate.

But concern is still for the children's safety, too, because as we're as we're lessening that social distancing thing, you know, is there a chance there's going to be an uptick in cases Gamma we don't know those things.

But I know from my colleagues point of view from their cells, I think that we're all very happy that we're able to get the vaccine before we come back and we change those social distancing and match basking in the classroom and stuff.

Sure.

And that announcement came last week.

And of course, teachers starting to get vaccinated this week.

Today, more of those clinics opening.

What was the reaction when teachers heard?

OK, now we can get vaccinated.

They weren't in originally in the one day they came out last week said we can get teachers and school workers in general vaccinate.

What was kind of the feeling once you heard that were you waiting for that news Gamma Absolutely.

I think there was a big, big relief.

I think many people we want to get going.

Just in general, we want to be vaccinated.

So we have that level of comfort.

Obviously, we still have those students in mask, but you still feel a level of comfort that you're not going to end up in a hospital or worse.

So I think in general, my colleagues were very relieved that they were going to be able to get the vaccine.

I know my 5th grade counterpart, she's getting hers at 7:30.

Everybody was scrambling to get their appointments right away.

And get the vaccine in and get going.

And I understand for the JNJ shop, which most of the teachers are getting, it's effective in like two weeks.

So that's great news.

Sure.

That's on par for one more kids are going to be back in the classroom.

And do you hear the kids talking about not only the coronavirus in general, but the vaccine not I have not heard my students speak about the vaccine and I don't that's because they're not eligible.

Parents aren't really talking to them about that.

Either.

I have to say these kids are amazing the way they have adapted to this.

I mean, they put their masks on.

They you know, the distance with each other.

They just get the whole thing.

And I maybe I just have an amazing but I just think that kids in general are very adaptable and able to, you know, change their way of life.

We're outside in the playground.

They wear their masks and they're just an amazing job.

The social distancing, the asking and following our new rules has and has been a breeze says great, great Laurie.

We don't have a ton of time left.

But if you could quickly just any advice for parents or students who are parents or sending kids back in, students who are coming back into the classroom for the first time this year Gamma I say do it.

I say we are doing so.

To make sure that your children are safe at school.

The teachers are on board with making sure everybody is socially distant.

And we're asking sanitizing and our administration is going to make sure that we're safe to wonderful.

Laurie Ruzek from Bethlehem Area School District, thank you so much for joining us.

And for everything you've done for those students.

We want to thank all of our guests for being with us today.

We want to thank you for watching.

Community Update on Coronavirus will be here at 4pm each PBS39., Wednesday and Friday onP And on the radio those same nights at 9:30 on WLVT News.

We'll be back on Monday at 4:00 with Allentown health director Vicki Kistler as guest.

If you have a question, you can give us a call.

The phone numbers 4 8 4 8 2 1 0 0 0 8 4 PBS39 WLVT News I'm Brittany Sweeney Stacee.