5 coronavirus things: COVID surge didn’t follow Florida schools reopening

In this special edition of 5 Things, Food Management highlights five things you may have missed recently about developments regarding coronavirus and its impact on onsite dining.

Here’s your list for today:

An analysis by USA Today found that Florida’s positive COVID case count among those aged 5 to 17 declined through late September, following the state’s reopening of K-12 schools for in-person learning, after peaking in July. Health experts attributed the early results to rigorous enforcement of policies requiring mask wearing, social distancing, isolating contacts and quick contact tracing when necessary. 

Read more: Florida schools reopened en masse, but a surge in coronavirus didn't follow, a USA TODAY analysis finds

Following the announcement of five students from Cal State Long Beach had tested positive, four of whom live on campus, President Jane Close Conoley placed all students living in on-campus residences in quarantine. The students will also be tested soon, and in-person classes will be paused for two weeks so the campus can attempt to do contract tracing of the virus.

Read more: CSULB Quarantines All On-Campus Students Amid COVID-19 Spike

Related:Best Concepts: Chartwells’ Mood Boost teaches the connection between how students feel and what they eat

Participation in school meal programs in many school districts in Arkansas has dropped despite most offering universal free meals through December. More than half of the state’s schoolchildren are eligible for free or reduced-cost meals, making the situation especially worrying for child nutrition advocates.

Since schools reopened in August, just a fraction of families with children attending online classes are picking up breakfasts and lunches, say officials, adding that even those in schools aren’t getting as many meals as before, perhaps out of safety fears.

For example, in the Pocahontas School District, of about 300 all-virtual-learning students Child Nutrition Director Patty Moore said she is sending food home for only about 30 each week.

Read more: Pandemic has fewer kids getting meals at schools

A McKinsey & Co. survey of 800 business executives has found support for and anticipation of trends accelerated by the worldwide COVID pandemic, including more automation, an increased reliance on contract workers and for remote work where practical. Overall, 15% of executives surveyed indicated that at least a tenth of their employees could work remotely two or more days a week going forward, almost twice what that number was pre-COVID. 

Related:5 things: University of Wisconsin-Madison to resume in-person classes

Read more: What 800 executives envision for the postpandemic workforce

Earlier this week, the Clarksville School District in Arkansas transitioned to off-site learning because of a shortage of cafeteria workers, after one cafeteria worker tested positive for coronavirus. Because of that positive result, several several other workers had to get tested and stay home until they get their results.

“There on Friday before we went home, we had another situation come up where we had some individuals who were showing symptoms and that were going to be tested and our concern was that we were not going to be able to operate our cafeterias Monday morning,” said Clarksville Superintendent David Hopkins said.

Read more: Clarksville pivots to off-site learning due to shortage of cafeteria workers

Bonus: NexDine rebrands, expands and diversifies

Contact Mike Buzalka at [email protected]