North Babylon SD: No Coronavirus In Area, Schools Open

NORTH BABYLON, NY — The North Babylon School District announced on Monday that schools will not be closing following the news of the first confirmed case of coronavirus in Suffolk County this week.

"We do not intend to close the district unless given reason to, by way of communication from the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] or the New York State, and/or Suffolk County Department of Health," Superintendent of schools, Glen Eschbach, wrote in a letter. "In the event of a school closure for any reason, communication will be sent via district Robo-call as this has always been our best form of communication for important information from the district."

However, in response to the outbreak, the school has also implemented a more rigorous cleaning procedure. Officials are ensuring that custodians are vigorously cleaning and disinfecting high-traffic locations in the schools. In addition, all the faucets, classroom desks and furniture in the buildings will undergo deep cleaning; the door knobs, handles and dispensers will be sanitized; the bus interiors will be disinfected and all personal cleaning products will be readily available in the schools.

Several school districts across Long Island have announced closures. As of Tuesday there have been 19 confirmed cases in Nassau County. The first Suffolk County patient was a man in his 40s, officials said. He is being treated at Stony Brook Southampton Hospital.