Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update & Other Reminders – November 13, 2020

Happy Aloha Friday Saint Mark Parents!

I hope and pray you are doing well.  I am writing with the latest updates & reminders.

COMMUNITY CONDITIONS 
Current Numbers
The 7-day state average of reported daily new cases is 101 (82 on O`ahu) and the 7-day state average of the positivity rate is 2.3% (3.0% on O`ahu).

November 6th Numbers
The 7-day state average of reported daily new cases was 95 (72 on O`ahu) and the 7-day state average of the positivity rate was 2.2% (2.9% on O`ahu).

October 29th Numbers
The 7-day state average of reported daily new cases was 87 (49 on O`ahu) and the 7-day state average of the positivity rate was 2.0% (2.0% on O`ahu).  

The current numbers which are available on the Hawaii Data Collaborative are continuing to trend higher, so let’s all please do our part to keep the metrics low and prevent another surge.

IMPACT/ALERT LEVELS
The state of Hawai`i is at impact level YELLOW (Act with Care – Minor Disruption) of its Reopening Navigator; the City and County of Honolulu is in TIER 2 (ORANGE) of its Honolulu Reopening Strategy; and Saint Mark is at level GREEN in its Reopening Campus Plan.

HELPFUL COVID-19 RESOURCES
The Hawaii Chamber of Commerce has published a number of useful and easy to read, one-page guides to help clarify some of the numerous state and county COVID-19 regulations and emergency orders.  A few guides I think you might find especially helpful are: (1) the Guide to County Rules on Face Coverings, Gatherings & Prohibited Activities; and (2) the Guide to State & County Rules on Interisland & Trans-Pacific Travel.   

INTERISLAND TRAVEL (No restrictions when traveling to O`ahu)
Since there are currently no restrictions (state, city & county or other) for those traveling from a neighbor island to O`ahu, Saint Mark also currently has no such interisland restrictions.  Of course, it’s important to understand that like with all of our COVID-19 policies, this current policy can and will be adjusted as needed.

10th ANNUAL TURKEY TROT
While we’ve unfortunately been forced to cancel a number events due to COVID, we are excited to announce that the PK-8 classes will be participating in the 10th Annual Saint Mark Turkey Trot on Tuesday, November 24th. The children (in their COVID cohorts) will trot/walk/run around a designated campus course and complete active stations along the route. We are encouraging the children to have fun while being active with their friends. Not only are we promoting physical fitness, but building a sense of  community in our school.  More details are to follow.

MASKS REMINDER
It’s imperative that the masks fit correctly and be worn properly (fitting snugly and fully covering the mouth and nose) if they are to provide the type of protection they are designed to provide. The office has a variety of children’s masks available (free of charge) for any students who may need one. 

READY TO PIVOT BACK to DISTANCE LEARNING
Saint Mark Lutheran School remains very attentive to the fluidity of this pandemic and will continue to carefully monitor the daily data.  While we will not be overly reactive to expected variance in community conditions, we need to be ready to quickly pivot back (cohorts or larger groups) to distance learning should a student or staff member test positive or community conditions dramatically worsen again.  

Thank you for your time and continued support!

Please do not hesitate to contact the school office should you have any questions.  

Mahalo, Blessings and Stay Safe this Weekend,

David Gaudi
Head of School