Westport Public Schools Updates Cleaning Efforts For Coronavirus

WESTPORT, CT — As Connecticut anxiously awaits its first confirmed case of the new coronavirus (COVID-19), Westport Public Schools is continuing its preparations for dealing with it, including updating the district's cleaning procedures at its facilities.

Town and school system officials are holding a community information session about COVID-19 at the library on Sunday, but in the meantime, the district released the below internal memorandum about the cleaning of its schools.

The memo, which outlines the number of times its wipes down "touchpoints," for example, follows a statement to parents from Interim Superintendent of Schools David Abbey last week that discussed the district's overall COVID-19 preparations. Patch reached out to Abbey for comment but did not receive a reply.

Connecticut reported its first confirmed case of COVID-19 on Friday; the three adjacent states — New York, Massachusetts and Rhode Island — also have confirmed cases. Additionally, 200 people in Connecticut reportedly are being monitored for the possibility that they have contracted the virus, and they have been asked to self-quarantine.

Below is the text of the Westport Public Schools memo on cleaning efforts:

In effort to increase our standard cleaning procedures for all of our school buildings, we are taking
extra steps to enhance cleaning and prevent the potential spread of disease.

• Install handwashing signs in all bathrooms.
• Increase high touchpoint area wipe down to five times per week, such as railings, door knobs, bathrooms and fixtures.
• Increase cleaning of desktops in classrooms to 3 times per week, area to be cleaned of clutter.
• Custodians will check all bathrooms twice per day for soap and paper supply, once in the morning and once in early afternoon and replenish as needed. The second shift custodial staff will also check and replenish supplies as needed.
• Day shift custodians will carry wipes and clean high traffic touchpoint areas.
• A bottle of hand sanitizer will be provided to each classroom teachers desk. (Pre-K through 12)
• At least two additional hand sanitizers will be installed in various areas of each school.

The March 8 community information meeting on COVID-19 is scheduled for noon at the Westport Library. Click here for more information.

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