COVID-19 Fear Cancels Trips For West Hartford Students

WEST HARTFORD, CT — Concerns over the COVID-19 Coronavirus have affected three overseas trips planned for West Hartford students, but no other extracurricular activities as of yet.

Excursions to China and Italy and a European trip have been canceled, according to the office of Superintendent of Schools Tom Moore. In addition, in a letter to the community last week, Moore wrote, "We have ordered more cleaning supplies that will be available not just for our custodial staff but to all staff to help wipe down surfaces at different times during the day. We also keep track of all absences, and visits to our nurses to track any spikes or dips in illnesses."

There have been no reported cases of Coronavirus in Connecticut as of this writing. 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