SN Magazine: April 2020
School Nutrition: A Pandemic Primer
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The month of March happened in a blur: No sooner had it kicked off the world toppled into a global pandemic fighting a never-before-seen disease: COVID-19. This new strand of coronavirus stopped life abruptly: schools shuttered, businesses closed their doors, individuals lost their jobs, places of worship stopped services, airlines were grounded, sporting events were cancelled and American citizens were instructed to stay indoors.
Because this pandemic caught most people off guard, confusion and information-overload became unintended consequences. Plus, in a constantly updating news cycle, it can be hard to receive reliable information. This special edition of School Nutrition acts as your
pandemic primer. Understanding that information concerning the disease is quickly updating, please be aware that the material presented in April issue was accurate as of press-time.
You’ve probably heard the terms “coronavirus” and “COVID-19” used a lot recently, but do you fully understand the difference? How series is this illness? Do you now the symptoms and how it differs from the flu or seasonal allergies?
Get the basics on the disease and the pandemic, and SN answers many of your
common questions to help you stay informed.
Working with USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service was paramount to ensure
students could continue to receive access to school meals. As parents grappled with childcare issues as schools were shuttered, an unintended consequence was how students would continue to receive the school meals they rely on. SNA immediately started meeting with government officials and
advocated on behalf of members. Once regulation flexibilities were instituted, many school districts across the country stepped up and continued to feed students. To continue
to keep members informed of the rapidly developing situation, SNA instituted a new COVID-19 webinar series, sent out numerous member communications and made the difficult decision to cancel the upcoming National Leadership Conference (NLC) scheduled for late April.
Articles at a Glance:
Stories from the Front Lines
Perspective of Industry Partners
SNA: Prioritizing Planning But Prepared to Pivot
Advocacy Efforts with USDA
Coming Next Month in School Nutrition:
Schools remain shuttered and emergency feeding operations are continuing in districts across the country. SN is continuing its coverage on the novel coronavirus and how it is impacting all facets of school meal operations.