West Orange Schools Will Take Day Off For Coronavirus Planning

WEST ORANGE, NJ — The West Orange Public School District will close on Monday, March 16 so staff can develop teaching plans in case of a coronavirus-related closure, administrators said.

As of Tuesday, there have been no presumed or confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus known as COVID-19 in the West Orange district. But precautionary measures continue to be taken, according to a message from Superintendent Scott Cascone.

• See related article: NJ Coronavirus Updates: Here's What You Need To Know
• See related article: West Orange School Officials Address Concerns About Coronavirus

“While health officials assure us that the immediate risk to our population is low at this time, we want to assure you that we are staying updated on the status in New Jersey and within our own school community,” Cascone said. “We continue to follow the guidance of our local health department and information being conveyed from the state of New Jersey.”

The first death in New Jersey related to COVID-19 was reported Tuesday. There have been more than 1,000 confirmed U.S. cases of the new coronavirus as of Wednesday morning according to Johns Hopkins University, which said the disease also has killed 29 people nationwide.

State health officials have maintained that most New Jersey residents are at "very low risk" of contracting COVID-19.

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The New Jersey Department of Education has asked public schools to develop a School Closure Preparedness Plan outlining how it will provide instruction to students should they be asked to preemptively or reactively close or cancel events. In response, the West Orange Public Schools is in the process of assessing its capacity to provide online instruction to students pre-K to grade 12, Cascone said.

“To support this goal, we have created an E-Learning Home Readiness Survey to measure internet access and technology device options at home,” Cascone stated. “We are asking all families to complete one survey per student by Monday, March 16. Kindly answer the survey questions with the most candid response.”

Additionally, on Monday, March 16, the district is planning to close in order for staff to meet and develop instructional plans in the event of a school closure, including “E-Learning opportunities,” the superintendent stated.

Cascone shared some information about other changes in the West Orange district.

FIELD TRIPS

“In order to be preventative and sensitive to the current status with 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), the West Orange Public School District is being proactive on all currently scheduled field trips. Each trip will be handled on a case by case basis but we are using the following questions to help determine the status of the trip.”

• Is the trip destination in a location experiencing sustained community transmission?
• Is the trip in a large venue with a high level of attendance?
• How many of our students and staff are attending the trip?
• What is the purpose for the trip? Curricular? Extra-curricular? Competition? Team Building? Is there time to “wait and see” on the trip? Meaning, if the trip is scheduled for May or June, can we evaluate it at a later date.

“Please understand the health and safety of our students and staff come first and the monetary aspect second; therefore, if a trip is cancelled, the district will make every effort for reimbursement; however, this may not be possible. You will be notified by your child’s school if a trip is going to be canceled or postponed. As it relates to transportation; do know that our school busses are being cleaned with more regularity and with attention to thoroughness.”

ATHLETICS

“The spring sports season is underway. With that said, the school district is taking precautionary measures to minimize the spread of viral illnesses. Therefore, the athletic department will not provide any school issued water bottles for practices and games. Each student-athlete should bring their own bottle with their name on it, to be taken home and washed each night.

“Teams may use a school issued Gatorade cooler from the athletic training staff, however it must be returned to the Athletic Trainers’ Room for proper cleaning at the end of each day. Our student-athletes should also be diligent in the daily cleaning and disinfecting of their athletic equipment (helmets, pads, bats, sticks, rackets, etc).”

Athletic facilities will continue to receive enhanced cleaning and disinfecting procedures, including: Locker Rooms, Athletic Training Room, Weight Room, Team Rooms.

PERFORMANCES AT SCHOOL

“The students and staff have worked tirelessly in an effort to offer the community an opportunity to convene at a performance and enjoy the fruits of their labor. To date we have not received a directive or guidelines from the Department of Education or the Centers for Disease Control regarding convening as a large group in an auditorium or gymnasium.

“As with field trips, we are evaluating each on a case by case basis.”

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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