To the Editor:

It has become abundantly clear over the last number of weeks that the Return to Normal everybody wants is not a scientifically available reality anywhere in the near future. As businesses and schools reopen and restrictions are relaxed here and elsewhere in the country, we see COVID-19 cases rise. Of particular consideration is our country’s schools. In this crisis, it should be non-negotiable that the next generation of our country is especially safeguarded.

Despite this, our elected officials and other leaders expect us to return to school normally. I don’t doubt they have their reasoning, primarily the economic state of our nation. Understandably, during this COVID-19 crisis, the economies of the United States and the world have decreased dramatically to the point where we are in an undeniable recession on path for a depression unless we take dramatic steps to avoid it.

These are major problems that we face together as a nation and may face for a longer period of time than we would have hoped. People are understandably getting antsy. People understandably want to avoid a depression. I believe that there are other ways to collectively deal with the problems that we face.

I do not believe that should include the deaths of children and their educators. The response of our BOE to this crisis is a hybrid learning plan where students and teachers will only be susceptible to infection 4x a week — with no realistically implementable disinfecting guidelines. Such a plan is ignorant to the reality of the situation. No plan can be perfect until we have all been vaccinated.

It’s time we tell our Board of Education and town officials: Enough is enough: No in-person learning without vaccines!

Peter Davenport, Jr

Jeremiah Road, Sandy Hook August 14, 2020