Coronavirus: New cleaning protocols set for schools across New York

Coronavirus

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, left, and Mayor Bill de Blasio discuss the state and city's preparedness for the spread of the coronavirus, Monday, March 2, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)AP

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Schools across New York State will soon receive new special cleaning protocols to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, also known as COVID-19.

During a press conference Monday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the state will be instituting new cleaning protocols in schools and public transportation, using a disinfectant.

“Many will use bleach, which is a good protocol in the flu season anyway,” said Cuomo. “So, if people smell – it smells like bleach – when you get on a bus or when a child goes to school, it’s not bad cologne or perfume. It is bleach.”

The MTA has announced its updated cleaning protocols in the wake of the coronavirus. The agency’s mass transit divisions -- New York City Transit, MTA Bus, Access-A-Ride, Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North -- have significantly ramped up the frequency and intensity of their sanitizing efforts.

While New York City schools are taking precautions when it comes to the novel coronavirus, there are no plans to close schools, according to a coronavirus update sent to families and published on the New York City Department of Education (DOE) website on Monday.

Closing schools is an “extreme measure that can be disruptive to day-to-day life, and the decision to implement will be at the direction of public health experts,” according to the update.

The DOE didn’t respond to a request Tuesday to confirm that are still no plans to close schools.

When asked by a reporter during a press conference on Tuesday regarding the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggestion that school districts plan for remote learning and schools closures, Mayor Bill de Blasio responded that the city isn’t “there yet.”

“I think we’re not there yet either. The model we are working on right now does not involve school closures, but we’ll look at everything if we end up in that situation,” de Blasio said during the press conference. “We’re doing this in stages. Right now, we’re dealing with what we have, but we’re doing as you saw yesterday, more and more scenarios getting us out over the horizon but I do not want people assuming outcomes right now. Right now, we have a situation where we are continuing with the work of the city, continuing with the work of our schools. We’re not doing alternatives until we have to.”

Cuomo said the state’s second confirmed coronavirus case is an attorney who works in Manhattan and lives in New Rochelle, N.Y.

The SAR school in Riverdale, N.Y., where the man’s children attend, is closed Tuesday, he said. In addition, two families in Buffalo are being tested for the virus after traveling to Italy, according to the governor.

The first confirmed case in the state was announced Sunday. A 39-year-old health care worker living in Manhattan who traveled to Iran was diagnosed with coronavirus, and officials said the woman has respiratory symptoms that are mild.

The DOE’s website stated that the agency will continue to clearly communicate with school communities about its ongoing efforts regarding the novel coronavirus.

Coronavirus: Full coverage on SILive.com

The DOE follows guidance from the CDC, and recommended all New Yorkers continue to practice general flu prevention measures, including:

  • Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue or sleeve.
  • Wash your hands regularly.
  • Avoid touching your face.
  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
  • Get your flu shot.
  • Stay home if you’re feeling sick. Call your doctor and let them know your symptoms and travel history.

The CDC issued guidance for affected and unaffected school communities. For institutions in areas with confirmed coronavirus cases, the CDC recommends schools work closely with local health officials to determine if, when, and for how long childcare programs or schools may need to be closed.

The agency said it’s important for school communities currently unaffected to plan and prepare for possible community transmission of coronavirus. Childcare and kindergarten-through-12th-grade school administrators nationwide can take steps to help stop or slow the spread of coronavirus, including:

  • Review, update, and implement emergency action plans, which should be done in collaboration with local health department and other relevant partners.
  • Develop information-sharing systems with partners that can be used for day-to-day reporting and disease surveillance efforts to detect and respond to an outbreak.
  • Monitor and plan for absenteeism, such as reviewing the usual absenteeism patterns at your school among both students and staff.
  • Establish procedures for students and staff who are sick at school.
  • Perform routine environmental cleaning.
  • Create communication plans for use with the school community.

COLLEGES, UNIVERSITIES ON STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS

Cuomo said SUNY (State University of New York) schools are considering asking students studying abroad to come home, and they should render a decision by the end of the day.

The City University of New York (CUNY), which oversees the College of Staten Island (CSI) in Willowbrook, and St. John’s University, which has a campus on Grymes Hill, have already canceled some study abroad programs located in areas with CDC level 3 travel health notices.

OTHER CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE:

2nd confirmed N.Y. coronavirus case; Cuomo to amend sick paid leave bill

Coronavirus outbreak: CSI, St. John’s cancel some study abroad programs

Cuomo orders insurance companies to waive cost sharing for coronavirus testing

Mayor: NYC will test for coronavirus sooner than expected

Cuomo, de Blasio urge calm following city’s first confirmed coronavirus case

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