Hackettstown Schools Close Amid Coronavirus Concerns

HACKETTSTOWN, NJ - Citing concerns with the encroaching novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, the Hackettstown and Great Meadows Regional School Districts will be switching to a distance learning model starting next week. Officials say the anticipated return of students and staff to campus is March 30.

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"In addition, our inter-district administrative cabinet has remained collaborative in our joint efforts in staying abreast of new COVID-19 information, scheduling and instructional strategies and pedagogical thought as to how the virtual learning experience best meets the needs our students. Our District websites have all pertinent information posted for public review," Superintendent David Mango said. "We will continue to alert parents, staff and community members by way of instant alerts, emails and phone conferences. Going forward, my omce is committed to the greater cause of keeping our students and staff healthy and safe. To that end, I ask that while this is a major hurdle for our communities, and new ground lo traverse, that we work together on this so very important cause."

Important Information:

• Staff are required to be actively engaged with their remote instruction on a half day schedule, hours can be found on the district website
• School and District Offices will remain open throughout the closure unless directed by the Warren County Health Department to close. Building administration will be available to address all questions or concerns.
• Athletics, co-curricular and extra-curricular activities are cancelled until further notice. This will be reevaluated as the circumstances surrounding the Corona Virus evolves.
• Both districts have Board of Education Meetings scheduled on March I7 (Great Meadows) and March 18 (Hackettstown) that will be held as the Board of Educations must approve
• motions necessary to conduct district business. Previously scheduled presentations may not occur.
• If you completed the Technology Survey and indicated that you arc in need ofa loaner
• Chromebook or laptop, you will be able to pick up the device today or Monday during the school day. If you have not completed the survey, and arc in need of a device, please contact your building principal.
• Students receiving free or reduced lunch will be able to pick up a bagged lunch each day at each respective Middle Schools between the hours of 11 a.m. through noon. If this crisis impacts your family's financial position and you feel your eligibility for free and reduced meals has changed, please contact the Business Office at 908-852-2800 (Hackettstown) and 908-637-8674 (Great Meadows).
• Please contact the Warren County Health Department at 908-475-7960 and your child's school nurse if you or your child has been in contact with a person suspected of having COVID -19.

"The gravity surrounding the circumstances of this crisis will change and call for flexibility. Each of us has children, family and friends that could potentially be impacted which is why I ask that we use patience and proper judgment on all decisions for the greater good of our communities," Mango said.

Counting the new cases Friday, there have been 50 people diagnosed with presumptive positive cases of COVID-19 in New Jersey as of Thursday afternoon, with one person dying from the disease. Gov. Phil Murphy has declared a state of emergency, and schools across the state have begun to cancel classes. READ MORE: NJ Coronavirus Updates (Here's What You Need To Know)
In general – depending on where they live – New Jersey residents still face a "low risk" of contracting COVID-19, State Epidemiologist Christina Tan said during a Wednesday press conference.

There have been more than 1,300 confirmed U.S. cases of the new coronavirus as of Thursday morning according to Johns Hopkins University, which said the disease also has killed 38 people nationwide.

• See related article: $8B To Fight Coronavirus; NJ Lawmakers Back Huge Spending Bill

WHAT IS COVID-19?

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.

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.

The CDC does not recommend that people who are well wear a face mask to protect themselves from respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19. You should only wear a mask if a health care professional recommends it. A face mask should be used by people who have COVID-19 and are showing symptoms. This is to protect others from the risk of getting infected. The use of face masks also is crucial for health workers and other people who are taking care of someone infected with COVID-19 in close settings (at home or in a health care facility).

Residents who have questions about the virus can contact the State of New Jersey's hotline at 1 (800) 222-1222. The hotline is home of the New Jersey Poison Information and Education System, and is staffed 24 hours a day by state health workers.

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