Schools prepare for ‘eventual arrival’ of COVID-19

For the first time since the COVID-19 outbreak began, several schools in Pennsylvania have been closed after students were exposed to a person from another state with a confirmed case.

All five of the schools that were shut down are in the Central Bucks School District, close to Philadelphia.

Although there have been no confirmed cases here, districts on the western side of the state are preparing for the arrival of the virus in the region.

“We understand the news of the coronavirus is unsettling and want to assure you that we are proactively working with the Allegheny County Health Department about the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and developing an action plan, should the coronavirus impact our area,” Pittsburgh Public Schools Superintendent Anthony Hamlet wrote in a letter sent to parents last week.

Mr. Hamlet advised parents not to send their children to school if they believe they may be sick.

He recommended that parents take several steps to protect themselves and their children from the virus, including following pediatricians’ orders, covering coughs and sneezes, washing hands frequently, getting a flu vaccination, and disinfecting oft-touched objects and surfaces.

Aaron Skrbin, director of safety and security with the Allegheny Intermediate Unit, said schools should already be somewhat prepared to respond to the virus because they always take measures to stop the spread of the flu and the common cold.

Still, the AIU — which

provides specialized services to Allegheny County’s 42 suburban school districts as well as nonpublic, charter and vocational-technical schools — held an information session Thursday with numerous education entities because health officials believe COVID-19 “is a more significant event,” Mr. Skrbin said.

Those at the gathering, which was held in conjunction with Allegheny County’s health and emergency services departments, heard simple measures that could help avoid an outbreak, such as washing hands and staying home if sick.

If an outbreak should occur, though, decisions will be made by individual school districts with any needed assistance from the county.

“It’s really going to be determined on a case-by-case basis,” Mr. Skrbin said. “Each individual district will make a decision with the Department of Education and the Department of Health. The anticipation is that it is going to be a local decision.”

Beaver Area School District Superintendent Carrie Rowe said in a letter sent to parents Wednesday that the district was already reviewing and updating phases of a readiness plan for COVID19’s “eventual arrival in our region.”

Custodial staff was spending “extra time cleaning and disinfecting high-touch surfaces daily,” she said.

“We are using this time to ensure that we have sufficient stock of recommended cleaning supplies, including disinfectant and protective solutions for use in our Bactronix electrostatic delivery system and antibacterial cleansers for everyday use,” Ms. Rowe said in a statement.

Officials from the PennTrafford School District urged parents to follow advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Maintenance staff continues to clean student desks daily in “every classroom,” Penn-Trafford officials said in a statement. The staff uses disinfectant wipes on a daily basis for each computer, laptop and iPad in the district.”

“We will continue to work in close collaboration with local health officials and seek specific guidance from local health officials to determine what steps are necessary if a local outbreak situation evolves,” district officials said.

Some school administrators tried to alleviate fears of the virus, such as Washington School District Superintendent James Konrad, who said in a statement that there have only been a small number of confirmed cases of the virus in the United States.

In Eastern Pennsylvania, the Central Bucks School District superintendent said the decision to close the schools is “out of an abundance of caution” after local and state health officials informed him Thursday night that district community members were exposed to a confirmed case of the virus that originated in another state.

The schools will be deepcleaned during the closure, Superintendent John J. Kopicki wrote in an email sent to parents. The affected schools in the district are in Warrington, Chalfont and Doylestown.

The Bucks County Health Department is evaluating to determine when students may return to school, the email said.