North Andover Schools Update On New Coronavirus Concerns

NORTH ANDOVER, MA — North Andover Superintendent Gregg Gilligan said in an announcement Friday that the district was prepared to use its Beyond The Classroom Learning program if the new coronavirus requires school cancellations. The risk to Massachusetts residents remains low, Gilligan noted, but the district has put in place proactive measures. The Beyond The Classroom Learning program is in place for snow days already.

Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that include the common cold as well as much more serious diseases. The strain that emerged in China in late 2019, now called COVID-19, is related to others that have caused serious outbreaks in recent years, including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). The first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the U.S. was on Jan. 21. As of Friday there are eight known cases in Massachusetts.

In the announcement published Friday afternoon, Gilligan said the district has been in regular conversation with the town Board of Health and has been receiving guidance from state and federal agencies. Other precautions the district has taken include:

• "The news coverage and talk of Coronavirus can cause anxiety in our students. Our school counselors and school nurses are available to assist students. I encourage you to reach out to your child’s teacher or principal if you have concerns. Additionally, families can find information on dealing with anxiety in children on our Social Emotional Learning Website resource page.
• No school-sponsored international trips are scheduled for the spring. Any school- sponsored domestic travel will be in accordance with recommendations from the CDC and the Department of Public Health.
• We have many individuals who are, or have been, traveling. North Andover Public Health and our schools are working together with MA DPH and are following the protocols set up by the CDC and other federal agencies to address the emerging issue of Coronavirus.
• North Andover Public Health will be contacted by MA DPH should any traveler in the community be identified as requiring quarantine. The NA Health Department will assess and monitor the situation and our normal protocols for illness continues to be followed. We will take any additional steps as directed by the CDC, MA DPH & NA Public Health.
• Staff have been asked to remind all students daily to wash their hands before lunch.

Cleaning

• The cleaning products used by NAPS staff already include products that kill the Coronavirus.
• Heavy-duty electrostatic disinfection application spray guns (you may have seen this on a recent news broadcast) are used as part of our cleaning protocols and as directed by Director of Nursing Cheryl Barczak and/or Town Health Director Brian Lagrasse.
• We have ordered additional spray guns to have available as a precaution.
• We have soap and hand sanitizer available at all schools and have a backup shipment scheduled to arrive next week.
• Our bus contractor, North Reading Transportation, has advised that they are taking extra precautions including increased frequency of cleaning of vehicles with particular attention to “high touch” areas including handrails, door handles and seats."

The town of North Andover also put out information on the virus earlier this week. Residents with questions can call the North Andover Health Department at 978-688-9540.

The disease, which apparently originated in animals, is now transferring from person to person, although the mechanism is not yet fully understood. Its symptoms include fever, coughing and shortness of breath, and many patients develop pneumonia. There is as yet no vaccine against COVID-19 it and no antiviral treatment.

According to the CDC, the best way of preventing the disease is to avoid close contact with people who are sick, to avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands, to wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and to use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol if soap and water are not available.

To avoid spreading any respiratory illness, the CDC recommends staying at home when you are sick, covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue and throwing the tissue in the trash, cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces.

An earlier version of this story identified the wrong superintendent. The error has been corrected.

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Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.