Coronavirus Update, December 15, 2020
Employees at Collegetown Bagels and Ithaca Bakery outlets expressed relief Monday after the owners of the local food cafes responded to a widely-circulated workers rights petition.
The Cornell Daily Sun reports that the employees’ requests for better COVID-19 safety measures and hazard pay were heard. In their petition, employees at CTB and Ithaca Bakery asked that the company close all indoor dining until a COVID vaccine became more widely available and that more physical barriers be constructed to provide protection for workers. They also requested at least an additional $2 per hour in hazard pay, and for the company to update procedures that would be carried out in the event that employees tested positive for COVID.
In a letter to the Concerned Workers of Collegetown Bagels and Ithaca Bakery, the owners of the food cafes detailed their plans to answer the employees’ requests. They stated that, starting next week, they would institute a wage change to fit the guidelines of the Tompkins County Wage Coalition. In addition, the owners stated that they plan to ensure a fair and living wage to all employees going forward.
In compliance with worker safety requests, CTB and Ithaca Bakery owners said they would close indoor dining effective today at all their locations. They also plan to install physical barriers in stores where employees feel unsafe. A bathroom at each location would be designated for employees-only, and two staff members at each store would be assigned to monitor COVID-19 safety procedures.
The owners of the stores also listed procedures in the event that an employee tests positive for COVID or is a close contact to a person who has tested positive. In addition, employees will be asked to get tested every two weeks, and will be paid a half hour salary for their time.
Julia Dreitzer, an employee at the downtown CTB store, responded to the owner’s letter, saying that it was monumental that the workers received such a significant response from the management. She added that the workers would continue to organize and focus on what she said were injustices against people of color.
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According to 14850 magazine, the Trumansburg, Dryden and Lansing school districts have joined Ithaca in moving to remote learning until January due to the rising COVID cases in the Tompkins County area.
Trumansburg Superintendent Kimberly Bell announced Monday that the district will move to 100% remote learning starting today, with a tentative return to in-person instruction on January 11. The district is struggling to provide adequate classroom coverage in too many classrooms, and must ensure the health and safety of students, faculty and staff. Lunches will be provided on regularly scheduled school days.
Dryden announced Friday their plans to transition to remote learning, returning to in-person learning on Monday January 4. Superintendent Joshua Bacigalupi also alerted families to a worldwide outage of the Google platform used by students for remote learning. The problem is resolved, but if issues arise, students should restart their Chromebooks.
Lansing Superintendent Chris Pettograsso announced that grades 1-12 will be 100% virtual starting December 15, while kindergarten instruction will continue as scheduled. The week of January 4th will be virtual with childcare available. In-person instruction will resume January 11th.
As reported last night, Ithaca City School District is transitioning to full distance learning from December 15 through January 3.
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Today, the Tompkins County Health Department released information on two potential COVID-19 exposures at Ithaca locations.
The first possible exposure may have occurred at the Downtown US Postal Service office located at 213 North Tioga St. On Friday, December 11th, a customer who later tested positive for the virus visited the post office from 3 to 3:30 pm.
An additional public exposure may have occurred at the Wegmans Sub Shop, located inside the store at 500 S Meadow St., Ithaca. A worker at the sub shop who later tested positive for the virus worked at the location on Saturday, December 5th from 10 am to 4:30 pm, and Monday, December 7th, from 10 am to 2 pm.
If you visited either of these locations on these dates and times, the health department recommends that you get tested for the virus. You are also urged to monitor yourself for symptoms of illness. To register for a test, visit cayugahealthsystem.org. For more information about COVID-19, visit tompkinscountyny.gov/health.
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Looking at the local COVID-19 caseload, the latest numbers as of the time of this broadcast were released yesterday from the Tompkins County health department. There are 25 additional positives, 42 new recoveries, and 12 hospitalizations. According to the County Health Department, that leaves 272 active cases of COVID-19 in Tompkins.
In Schuyler County, there are 6 new cases of COVID-19 reported as of today, leaving 32 active cases, according to their Health Department. 3 people remain hospitalized due to the virus.
Contributing writers: Michayla Savitt, Susan Fortson, Esther Racoosin.