Lower Merion Schools Increasing Coronavirus Preparedness

LOWER MERION TOWNSHIP, PA — The Lower Merion School District is taking additional measures to be prepared for a potential outbreak of the novel coronavirus in the school community.

Superintendent Robert Copeland said in a letter to district families Thursday that district officials are working on further preparedness.

Below are steps the district is taking to be prepared for potential cases:

• Student Health Services remains in daily contact with the Montgomery County Health Department and is communicating all advisories to nursing staff in the schools and to the appropriate administrators
• All bus drivers are being provided with spray bottles of an environmentally friendly and effective agent for killing most infectious agents and will use the cleaner on all buses after morning and afternoon runs
• Teachers also have access to the cleaner, as mentioned in my letter last week
• Custodial staff continue to thoroughly clean all schools
• Additional supplies of soap and hand sanitizer have been ordered and are being distributed to schools
• 100 age-appropriate posters about proper hand-washing techniques have been distributed to schools and teachers continue to stress the importance of hand-washing and cough/sneeze etiquette with students
• To the extent possible, nurses are working on dividing health suites in different zones for sick and well students, so that students reporting with cold or flu-like symptoms can be segregated from those receiving routine medications or being treated for cuts, bumps and bruises
• The curriculum team is moving forward with planning for remote instruction, should it become necessary to close schools for an extended period of time. They are considering options for students who may not have internet access at home and for students with special needs
• Nutritional Services is considering the possibility of distributing free and reduced lunches, should it become necessary to close schools for an extended period of time

With spring break nearing, the district urged families to avoid non-essential travel to areas impacted by the illness, such as Italy, South Korea, or China.

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Those who do travel to such areas should self quarantine for 14 days.

"We are not excluding students from school just because they or family members have traveled abroad, but this could change if situations or Health Department mandates warrant,"Copeland's letter said.

Students who are sick with cough, fever, cold symptoms, vomiting and/or diarrhea should stay home.

School nurses will call parents and guardians of students who come to school and feel ill to come pick them up.

Nurses will err on the side of caution with dismissal of students who appear ill.

"Our teachers and counselors are noting that some children are experiencing anxiety related to COVID-19," Copeland said. "It is important to remind children that the adults in their lives are taking steps to protect them from illness."

According to Pennsylvania health officials, travelers who are self-monitoring their health and practicing social distancing should:

• Take your temperature with a thermometer twice day and monitor for fever. Also watch for cough or trouble breathing.
• Stay home and avoid contact with others. Do not go to work or school for this 14-day period.
• If you must leave your home, do not take public transportation, taxis or ride-shares during the time you are practicing social distancing.
• If you must leave your home, avoid crowded places (such as shopping centers and movie theaters) and limit your activities in public.
• Keep your distance from others (about 6 feet or 2 meters).

Pennsylvanians are encouraged to help stop the spread of viruses by:

• Washing your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when coughing or sneezing.
• Clean surfaces frequently, including countertops, light switches, cell phones and other frequently touched items.
• If you are sick, stay home and avoid contact with others.

As of Friday morning, 233 people in the United States had been confirmed with the COVID-19 virus, according to Johns Hopkins University. The number of U.S. deaths from the virus rose overnight by two to 14, with most of them from a single nursing home in the Seattle area.

Additionally, eight people in America have fully recovered from the coronavirus, according to Johns Hopkins.

President Donald Trump Friday signed an $8.3 billion measure that the U.S. Senate approved Thursday to tackle the new coronavirus outbreak, which surged to more than 100,000 confirmed cases overnight into Friday.

The money would pay for a multi-dimensional attack on the virus that is beginning to threaten major disruptions in the United States