There are no plans to shut down school due to the coronavirus.

In a Facebook post on Friday, March 6, Warren County School District informed the public there are no plans for a two-week closure that was rumored to begin Monday, March 9, to “slow or halt the spread of the COVID-19 Coronavirus.”

The district also announced the posting of a letter on its webpage (www.wcsdpa.org) regarding its expectations of students and staff that fall ill and/or have visited an area experiencing widespread transmission of the virus.

As of Friday, there were more than 100 cases of infection in 16 states and the district ensured that Central Office will continue to monitor the outbreak as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

The district encourages all students who are sick to stay home and assured that those student absences will be marked as excused.

Any staff or students that have traveled within an area of widespread transmission of COVID-19 are asked to stay home for 14 days following their return. Those who are experiencing any respiratory illness symptoms are asked to stay home until all symptoms have been resolved.

The WCSD will continue to “monitor attendance, support an increase of custodial services, (and) communicate updates with the community.”

COVID-19 can spread multiple ways including through the air by coughing or sneezing, by close personal contact such as shaking hands, by touching an object or surface that has come in contact with the virus, as well as occasionally through fecal contamination. It is important that everyone follow’s the CDC’s everyday preventative actions to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 as well as any other respiratory infections.

preventative measures include: Avoid close contact with people who are skin; avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth; stay home when you are sick; cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue and then throw the tissue in the trash; and clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.

You can also help prevent the spread by following the CDC’s recommendations regarding the use of a facemask. The CDC does not recommend the use of a facemask for those who are well and trying to protect themselves from respiratory diseases including COVID-19. Facemasks should be used by those who show symptoms of the virus to help prevent the spread of the disease to others. The use of facemasks is also crucial for health workers as well as people who are taking care of someone in close settings, i.e. at home or in a health care facility.

It is highly recommended to wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, notable after using the bathroom, before eating, and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing. If soap and water are not readily available, you can use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands when they are visibly dirty.

The CDC furthermore recommends protecting yourself from the transmission of COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses by following the CDC COVID-19 Action steps to help prevent the spread of an outbreak in the community. These guidelines can be found at www.cdc.gov.

You can stay updated regarding the WCSD announcements by visiting its Facebook or website. You can also explore other COVID-19 links available in the news section of the website. District administration will continue to update existing information to the website as well as add items as more is learned about the situation.