Hinsdale Schools Prepare For Coronavirus

HINSDALE, IL — Schools in Hinsdale and Clarendon Hills are preparing for coronavirus, even though no cases have yet been reported locally.

Hinsdale School District 181, which serves kindergarten through eighth grade, says it has taken a number of steps in response to the worldwide outbreak of the virus:

• Encourage students to wash their hands frequently.
• Ensure schools have hand-sanitizing stations near lunchrooms.
• Perform routine cleaning and disinfecting in buildings, as well as deep cleaning weekly.
• Establish procedures to ensure students and staff who become sick at school or arrive at school sick are sent home as soon as possible. Sick students and staff will remain separate from well students and staff until they can leave.
• Develop an emergency operations plan specific to the contagious disease responses potentially needed for the schools and community.

At Hinsdale High School District 86, officials said they will remain vigilant about keeping buildings clean.

"While there are no special sanitizing processes that are necessary or recommended for slowing the spread of respiratory illness, we have been and will continue to perform routine cleaning and disinfecting in our buildings," the district's statement said.

Illinois officials have reported the state's seventh confirmed coronavirus case. No Illinois deaths have been reported from the virus.