Go to red phase before schools reopen

School starts in six weeks for Pennsylvania students; parents are losing their minds waiting to hear their schools’ plans, making seemingly impossible choices about their children’s education. Learn from home? In the school? Some combination of both? Will school buildings be safe?

School starts in six weeks, exactly enough time for Gov. Tom Wolf to ensure that Pennsylvania is virus-free or close to it, but only if he makes a hard decision: We must go back to red.

School starts in six weeks, and we should all spend the next two of them in the red phase — sheltering in place as if we all have COVID-19. No more camping or bars, no more hair salon or gym. We all make this sacrifice for the students in our state, the future of Pennsylvania’s workforce. At home, anyone who might have the virus is prevented from spreading it. We did this for three months, and we were successful, particularly in Allegheny County; we can do it for two weeks. And then we go back to yellow.

For the past month, we have prioritized the wrong things in this country. It is time for the governor to set that right (July 2, “Bogen Does Not Expect Virus Cases to Drop for Weeks”).

School starts in six weeks; after red, we go back to yellow, and we should stay there until there is a vaccine for COVID-19, even if it takes another year. Then, our children can go to school safely, which should be our only priority until there is a vaccine. What does it say about us if we can’t put our children first when they most need us?

We have exactly enough time to facilitate this plan, and I urge the governor to do so. School can be safe, but we need sacrifice — and leadership from his office — for the benefit of all Pennsylvania students. BRYNA SIEGEL FINER

Swisshelm Park