Superintendent’s Message – March 5, 2020
Coronavirus-COVID-19, Thursday, March 5, 2020
Below are the most common questions to date regarding our District and Coronavirus, otherwise known as COVID-19.
Who should and shouldn’t attend school at this time?
Any and all students who are healthy and not showing any symptoms of fever, coughing, pain when breathing or other universal signs of illness SHOULD ATTEND for continuity of their education.
Conversely, students or adults who exhibit signs of illness, including fever (over 100.5°), coughing, and respiratory pain SHOULD STAY AT HOME!
What are you doing to prevent the spread of COVID-19?
Under the current conditions, we have been informed that our daily cleaning and sanitizing of common areas and hard surfaces are sufficient. In addition, we are reminding students to wash hands regularly, cover their mouth and nose when sneezing. Posters have been distributed to buildings to remind staff and students of “universal precautions (see attached poster). Finally, as a precautionary measure, salad bars in cafeterias have been withdrawn and only trained food handlers are serving salads until further notices.
How will I be told if someone at my child’s school is exposed or has COVID-19?
If this happens, your local health department and school district will work together to let you know. They will do this within rules set by the school district and local health department.
How are decisions made about closing schools or how long they should be closed?
Typically, school administrators, in consultation with state and local public health departments, make these decisions.
How are decisions made about canceling extracurricular activities before or after school? How about cancellation of sporting or other events outside of my school district?
These decisions are made by affected schools in consultation with public health agencies.
At this time, public health agencies in Eastern Oregon are not advising school closures.
Here is a link with more information from OHA and ODE: https://www.oregon.gov/ode/students-and-family/healthsafety/Documents/Questions-About-School-Closures.pdf
