LYNN — All teachers and the majority of Lynn Public Schools staff will be allowed to work remotely until Dec. 23, a decision Superintendent Dr. Patrick Tutwiler made based on the recent coronavirus surge in the city.
While all students have been learning remotely all school year, teachers and staff have been required to work in the school buildings since classes resumed this fall.
Under Tutwiler’s plan, approved by the School Committee Thursday night, all LPS staff would work remotely on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and all teachers and most staff would be given the option to work remotely on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
Groups that will not be allowed to work remotely on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and must be in their respective school buildings include principals, nurses, technology specialists, parent liaisons and clerks, Tutwiler said.
Tutwiler said the plan, which goes into effect Monday, is aimed at balancing safety by decreasing the number of staff coming into buildings while ensuring families are still serviced well and there is a minimal impact on students’ education by having certain staff on site three days a week.
“COVID-19 is surging across the state and the country, with the city of Lynn experiencing one of the highest positivity rates in Massachusetts,” said Tutwiler. “Yet, the Lynn Public Schools has been a model of safety in the midst of this increase. To date, we have had no known instances of transmission on site, and minimal need for anyone to quarantine due to exposure in an LPS building.
“Because cases are currently rising, we have decided to make some adjustments for staff on-site schedules, so that we can ensure we can continue to have this safety record. My commitment to (our families) is to ensure we continue to operate safely, while also ensuring that our students continue to receive an excellent education.”
Tutwiler’s announcement at the School Committee meeting came hours after new data from the city showed that Lynn had set a record for coronavirus cases for a second straight day.
Lynn reported 191 new cases on Thursday, which surpassed the high that was reported a day earlier, when 169 new cases were reported.
Cases continued to soar on Friday, with the city reporting another 129 cases and an additional death. Lynn now has 8,193 cases, 135 deaths, 1,464 active cases, and 6,594 people have recovered, according to city data.
As of Friday, Lynn’s positive test rate had climbed to 10.23 percent, sixth highest in the state, and its daily incidence rate increased to 67.6 new cases per 100,000 residents over the past 14 days, according to the Department of Public Health.
Mayor Thomas M. McGee and Public Health Director Michele Desmarais have attributed the skyrocketing case numbers over the past three days to a post-Thanksgiving surge stemming from people gathering with friends and family outside their households for the holiday.
Tutwiler’s plan to reduce staffing levels in school buildings follows a similar decision made by McGee earlier this week regarding city buildings.
On Wednesday, McGee announced that Lynn City Hall, the Department of Public Works, Lynn Public Library, and Police and Fire Departments will open to the public by appointment only beginning Monday.
On-site staffing in those respective buildings will be reduced to 50 percent capacity at any given time, with City Hall reverting to staff working on an AB schedule, with two groups alternating between a week of remote work and then working on-site the following week, according to McGee.
All public safety services, including police and fire, will continue to operate at full-staffing levels and curbside trash and recycling pickup will continue on a normal schedule.
Reducing on-site staffing levels at city buildings and limiting access to the public represents a step back to how city government was functioning late last spring, when the state was in the early phases of its reopening plan.
In a statement sent to The Item on Friday, McGee said that given the recent surge in cases, the state should consider a “reasonable rollback” and look at implementing a pause to try to flatten the curve.
“Lynn, along with many other communities across the commonwealth, has seen a substantial increase in positive COVID-19 cases to levels not seen since the beginning of the pandemic,” said McGee. “Local leaders continue to be challenged on what additional actions can be taken to reduce the continuing community spread. It is time for the commonwealth as a whole to look at implementing a pause and a reasonable rollback in the short term to flatten the increasing infection rate.
“If a rollback and pause is enacted, it is important that the state work with us and provide financial support to address the potential impacts that may affect local businesses and employees as a result. If this recent spike continues and becomes a trend, we know that it will eventually lead to an overwhelming number of hospitalizations and deaths, as we unfortunately saw earlier this year.”
