MIAMI (NewsNation Now) — Some school districts across the country resumed in-person classes Monday.
In Miami, the fourth largest district in the country, the district started on a staggered approach with just Pre-K, Kindergarten, and 1st graders back in the classroom.
In Syracuse, New York, the district had plastic shields in some classrooms to protect students and teachers.
And in Beaufort, South Carolina, the district had marks on the floor as a reminder to keep desks six feet apart.
“What haven’t we done? We have been like Santa Claus. Making our list and checking it twice. Making sure that everything is socially distanced. Making sure that everything is clean,” said Beaufort principal Constance Goodwine-Lewis.
But there are teachers who still don’t feel safe returning to the classroom. In Austin, Texas, students and teachers held a rally protesting the district’s decision to require most teachers return to campus.
“COVID mitigation is about layering. Masks. Temperatures. Disinfecting. The best success rates by far are companies, and schools, and summer camps that are having a layered protocol,” said Marylin Dans with Miami-based Secure Scan Check.
Secure Scan Check sells schools UVC lights. The lights are turned on at night to purify the air and sanitize surfaces. Several schools in New Jersey are using the lights, according to Dans.
They also sell a metal detector that also does temperature checks and sprays a sanitizing spray.
“It is 100% safe. It kills coronavirus and is EPA approved,” said Dans.
The UVC lights cost anywhere from $3,000 to $4,000.
The metal detector that does temperature screenings and sanitizing costs close to $15,000.