Lindenhurst SD Updates Community On Coronavirus Situation

LINDENHURST, NY — Lindenhurst school district officials released a letter on Monday updating the community on the coronavirus situation. According to Superintendent of Schools Daniel Giordano, while there is no "present need" to cancel school or school-related activities, the district is still monitoring the situation and reviewing all information on a day-by-day basis. He also mentioned that officials are participating in weekly webinars and attending meetings offered by the state and local authorities.

"We continue to follow the recommendations and guidelines of the New York State Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control for cleaning and disinfecting our buildings to the highest allowable standard," he wrote in the letter. "Director of Facilities Robert Cozzetto will proactively meet with all heads and chief custodians districtwide to discuss updates and review protocols. It is important to note, however, that all protocols and disinfectants utilized in the district currently meet – and in some cases exceed – the recommended guidelines provided by the CDC and EPA."

On Sunday, Suffolk County confirmed its first case of the new coronavirus. The man, who is in his 40s and was reportedly treated at Eastern Long Island Hospital and then taken to Stony Brook Southampton Hospital works at Greenport Harbor Brewing Company in Peconic. This brings the number of cases of the new coronavirus up to 142. In New York, Westchester County in the Hudson Valley has the most cases by far at 98, followed by 19 in New York City and 17 in Long Island's Nassau County. Rockland County has four confirmed cases while Saratoga has two, Suffolk has one and Ulster has one. Eight people have been hospitalized, Cuomo said, or about 6 percent.

No cases of the virus have been reported in western Suffolk County. Last month, several Lindenhurst High School students reported feeling sick after returning from a trip to Italy. The students, who went on the trip during February break, reported various gastric symptoms and in some cases, fever. The letter did not mention exactly how many students reported feeling sick, but did mention that the school nurse spoke to the Suffolk County Health Department, who expressed confidence that the gastric symptoms the students had were most likely the norovirus, flu or salmonella and are not reflective of the respiratory symptoms or symptoms of pneumonia which accompany COVID-19.

The district also mentioned the cleaning process for the transportation they use, which is provided through Suffolk Transportation Services. The following enhanced measures will be taken to proactively safeguard the transportation system:

• All fleets will be thoroughly disinfected.
• All drivers will be provided with a disinfectant spray bottle to be utilized on high contact areas.
• Ongoing cleaning and disinfecting will take place within the company wash bays.
• Hand sanitizing stations are being installed within maintenance facilities and all driver rooms.

"It is imperative that we, as a community, remain calm, cautious and informed with the most current information," Giordano said. "Please take the time to discuss with your children the importance of health etiquette and mitigate any concerns they may have about COVID-19."

Click here to read the full letter.