South County Schools Take Steps To Prepare For Coronavirus

NARRAGANSETT-SOUTH KINGSTOWN, RI — Following the announcement of the state's first two "presumptive positive" cases of the new coronavirus, school officials around the state are taking preventive measures and communicating with state officials to keep students safe and assuage fears. Narragansett Superintendent Peter Cummings and South Kingstown Superintendent Linda Savastano sent a message to students and parents encouraging safe health practices.

"The Narragansett Schools are actively planning our response to the anticipated spread of the virus and we are in close contact with the Town of Narragansett, the Rhode Island Department of Health, and the Rhode Island Department of Education," the message reads in part. "Our early precautions and planning are similar to the planning and precautions schools would take in the face of pandemic influenza."

These steps include encouraging frequent handwashing for students, teachers and staff, making hand sanitizer readily available, frequent disinfection of classrooms, bathrooms and other high-traffic areas and more. In addition, school officials have plans in place for online learning if classes need to be canceled and making plans for at-risk students should the school stay open, but the virus spread within the community.

"While it is our hope to have our school routines remain as normal as possible, we will fully comply with all recommendations from our public health officials. If deemed necessary by the department of health, schools could be asked to close for a length of time to prevent the spread of the virus if there are identified cases in our community," the email read. "If such an event occurs, we will move to virtual learning experiences and continue with our students’ educations. We recognize the challenge this would pose for many families, and stand ready to support you in whatever ways are possible should this occur. Please know that we are planning for a variety of scenarios, and doing all we can to maintain the health and safety of our community and our students."

Meanwhile, in South Kingstown, school officials are also taking steps to prepare for a potential outbreak.

"The South Kingstown School Department is working diligently to be proactive," Savastano said in part. "We are asking our schools to review hand-washing techniques with our students, discouraging the sharing of food and increasing the frequency of school building (and bus) cleaning by maintenance staff."

The district is taking similar steps as Narragansett, encouraging frequent handwashing, disinfecting schools and following the guidance from the Department of Health.

At this point, the main focus is prevention, Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott, the director of health at the Rhode Island Department of Health, said on Monday. All residents are urged to continue to take steps to prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses that they normally would during cold and flu season. These include:

• Wash hands frequently with warm water and soap or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if handwashing is not an option.
• Get a flu shot, and encourage those around you to do the same.
• Cough or sneeze into your elbow rather than a hand or the air.
• Stay home from school or work if sick.
• Keep surfaces, especially bedside tables, bathrooms and children's toys clean by wiping them down with disinfectant.
• Get plenty of sleep, by physically active, manage stress, drink plenty of fluids and eat nutritious foods to maintain good health.

The CDC does not recommend that otherwise healthy people wear a facemask to protect themselves from respiratory viruses, including the new coronavirus. Only wear a mask if a healthcare provider instructs you to do so, the Department of Health said. Those with symptoms are asked to wear a mask to help prevent spreading the disease to others.

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.

Here in Rhode Island, two "presumptive positive" cases were announced on Sunday, along with a third person who is being tested. All three were part of a school trip to Europe in February organized by St. Raphael's school in Pawtucket.
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 and no antiviral treatment.

READ MORE:

• Coronavirus In Rhode Island: What To Know
• An Outbreak Of Coronavirus Misinformation: AP Fact Check
• RI Coronavirus: 2nd 'Presumptive' Positive, 3rd Person Tested
• Pawtucket School Says RI Coronavirus Patient Is Community Member
• Cohasset Woman Quarantined For Potential Coronovirus Exposure
• Coventry Schools 'Continuously' Monitoring Coronavirus Updates
• Amid National Fear, Rhode Island's Coronavirus Risk Remains Low
• RI Health Department 'Closely Monitoring' Coronavirus Outbreak