As the school year begins for many schools, students and parents are looking forward to some degree of normalcy with the return to classrooms. Jennifer Manzzo, who is a nurse, is concerned about her daughter’s safety. However, she emphasizes the need for her daughter to return to class for her own wellbeing. “I think it’s very important for kids’ wellbeing, mental health, socialization, and education to also be back in the classroom,” Manzzo said.And others remain concerned about COVID-19, which has had yet another surge across the nation, most cases from the highly infectious delta variant.Black, Hispanic, and Asian Americans say teachers should be vaccinated before returning in person, according to a study from the Pew Research Center.Gov. Gavin Newsom earlier in August mandated that all teachers and school staff, either be vaccinated or show proof of negative COVID-19 tests weekly. Vincent Martínez, of West Sacramento, supports the mandate, saying it gives him peace of mind. “Homeschooling works best for us because we know where they’re at,” Martínez said. “If the teachers are vaccinated or not, we don’t know that, per se.”For most of the pandemic, people of color have been comprising more of the COVID-19 cases and deaths across the state.Dr. Sergio Aguilar Gaxiola, director of the UC Davis Center for Reducing Health Disparities, has been working closely with state and health leaders since the beginning of the pandemic and says the fear is valid among different racial and ethnic groups.”The excess mortality due to COVID, both in Latinos and African Americans. In general, Latinos are dying four times more than whites, and African Americans almost three times more,” Gaxiola said.He adds that these numbers are even higher among Latinos without higher education.In a Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, racial and ethnic minority parents showed concern about some aspects of school reopening, including their child contracting or bringing home the coronavirus.”They don’t have the luxury to stay at home in order to make it, to have a gainful income. They have to go to work and therefore they’re exposed,” Gaxiola said, adding that this is typical because these groups tend to have essential jobs.KCRA 3 reached out to 20 school districts in the Greater Sacramento region, and while most have increased in-person enrollment, hundreds of families have chosen independent study or virtual academies for their children.In the Manteca Unified School District, the largest number of students doing independent study are Latinos at 50%.”We have larger families in the household, so therefore that puts us at a higher risk already, just because of the number of people that can live within the household,” said Martínez, who is concerned about their children contracting the virus at school and exposing their youngest one at home.Lower income families are also less likely to want to send their children in person if staff and teachers aren’t vaccinated, according to the Pew Research Center.Health disparities experts still worry about the lack of access to accurate information and the myths that still exist among these communities.
As the school year begins for many schools, students and parents are looking forward to some degree of normalcy with the return to classrooms.
Jennifer Manzzo, who is a nurse, is concerned about her daughter’s safety. However, she emphasizes the need for her daughter to return to class for her own wellbeing.
“I think it’s very important for kids’ wellbeing, mental health, socialization, and education to also be back in the classroom,” Manzzo said.
And others remain concerned about COVID-19, which has had yet another surge across the nation, most cases from the highly infectious delta variant.
Black, Hispanic, and Asian Americans say teachers should be vaccinated before returning in person, according to a study from the Pew Research Center.
Gov. Gavin Newsom earlier in August mandated that all teachers and school staff, either be vaccinated or show proof of negative COVID-19 tests weekly. Vincent Martínez, of West Sacramento, supports the mandate, saying it gives him peace of mind.
“Homeschooling works best for us because we know where they’re at,” Martínez said. “If the teachers are vaccinated or not, we don’t know that, per se.”
For most of the pandemic, people of color have been comprising more of the COVID-19 cases and deaths across the state.
Dr. Sergio Aguilar Gaxiola, director of the UC Davis Center for Reducing Health Disparities, has been working closely with state and health leaders since the beginning of the pandemic and says the fear is valid among different racial and ethnic groups.
“The excess mortality due to COVID, both in Latinos and African Americans. In general, Latinos are dying four times more than whites, and African Americans almost three times more,” Gaxiola said.
He adds that these numbers are even higher among Latinos without higher education.
In a Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, racial and ethnic minority parents showed concern about some aspects of school reopening, including their child contracting or bringing home the coronavirus.
“They don’t have the luxury to stay at home in order to make it, to have a gainful income. They have to go to work and therefore they’re exposed,” Gaxiola said, adding that this is typical because these groups tend to have essential jobs.
KCRA 3 reached out to 20 school districts in the Greater Sacramento region, and while most have increased in-person enrollment, hundreds of families have chosen independent study or virtual academies for their children.
In the Manteca Unified School District, the largest number of students doing independent study are Latinos at 50%.
“We have larger families in the household, so therefore that puts us at a higher risk already, just because of the number of people that can live within the household,” said Martínez, who is concerned about their children contracting the virus at school and exposing their youngest one at home.
Lower income families are also less likely to want to send their children in person if staff and teachers aren’t vaccinated, according to the Pew Research Center.
Health disparities experts still worry about the lack of access to accurate information and the myths that still exist among these communities.
