Coronavirus Being Monitored By Ellington School Officials

ELLINGTON, CT — So far, concerns over the Coronavirus have not affected schedules in any schools in Ellington, nor any extracurricular activities.

A letter sent to parents in February indicated Ellington officials are in contact with the North Central District Health Department in monitoring the public health concern, Superintendent of Schools Scott Nicol said.

"As the media continues to speculate on the possible implications of COVID-19, at this time there isn't any official information to indicate that school closures will be needed or required in Ellington," Nicol wrote. "The Ellington Public Schools will seek guidance from the Connecticut State Department of Education should this unlikely scenario become a distinct possibility."

There have been no reported cases of Coronavirus in Connecticut as of early this week. Several states across the United States have reported positive cases.

State and local health officials have issued some guidelines:

• Keep children who are sick at home. Don't send them to school. Consult your doctor.
• Teach children to wash hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds. Parents and caregivers can set a good example by doing this themselves.
• Teach children to cover coughs and sneezes with tissues or by coughing into the inside of the elbow.
• Monitor travel alerts issued by the CDC specific to COVID-19 if you are planning trips, particularly for the upcoming breaks.

For more tips, see the Connecticut Department of Public Health website: https://portal.ct.gov/DPH/Public-Health-Preparedness/Main-Page/2019-Novel-Coronavirus