Student safety: Here’s how NYC schools are working to combat coronavirus

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In a letter sent home to families regarding the coronavirus on Tuesday, the Department of Education said the “health and safety of all of our students continues to be our first priority.” (Plain Dealer)Plain Dealer

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- After Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Monday that all schools in New York State would receive special cleaning protocols in wake of the coronavirus (also known as COVID-19), New York City education officials are working to acquire disinfectants that specifically kill the coronavirus, while paying special attention to certain school common areas during daily cleanings.

According to the city Department of Education (DOE), school bathrooms are required to be fully stocked with soap and paper towels, and the agency has already ordered disinfectants approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that kill the coronavirus specifically.

“We are in close contact with the City’s Health Department regarding potential impact to school communities, and are communicating updated guidance to principals and families today,” said Danielle Filson, a spokeswoman for the DOE.

Custodial engineers have received guidance on daily cleaning with special attention to horizontal surfaces in school building’s common areas, classrooms and bathrooms, as well as frequently contacted items. The DOE said it will be surveying every custodian about their supplies inventory and will conduct Systems Quality Controls to ensure that new cleaning protocols are being implemented.

In a letter sent home to families on Tuesday, the DOE said the “health and safety of all of our students continues to be our first priority.” As it monitors the situation, it is enhancing certain protocols and providing additional resources, including:

  • Providing CDC-approved cleaning agents to every school.
  • Ensuring all bathrooms are continuously stocked with soap and paper towels, and encouraging students and staff to wash hands frequently.
  • Ensuring principals and school nurses have the resources and guidance needed to detect and report symptoms exhibited at school, and provide help for any affected individuals.

The DOE is continuing to work in close partnership with the city Health Department, and will continue to update its protocols as the situation evolves -- communicating any possible impacts to parents and school communities.

Coronavirus: Full coverage on SILive.com

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

The MTA is stepping up its cleaning efforts in an attempt to curtail the spread of the potentially deadly virus. 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, using EPA-approved and CDC-endorsed disinfectants.

“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.”

While New York City schools are taking precautions when it comes to the novel coronavirus, there are still no plans to close schools.

“There are no plans to close schools at this time, and any changes will be determined by public health experts,” Filson said.

STATUS OF SCHOOL STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS

The DOE also said it sent out an updated International Travel Trip Policy for School on Tuesday evening, which cancels school-based travel to certain countries based on guidance from the CDC and in consultation with the city Health Department.

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 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) level 3 travel health notices.

According to Cuomo, the state is bringing home SUNY (State University of New York) and CUNY students studying abroad in China, Italy, Japan, Iran, and South Korea. They will be quarantined for 14 days out of an abundance of caution.

As of Monday, Wagner College hasn’t curtailed any study abroad, exchange programs or other college travel overseas, according to a spokesman.

St. John’s University, which has a campus on Grymes Hill, announced Sunday it has discontinued academic programs on its Rome, Italy, campus until further notice.

The Archdiocese of New York informed staff and students that anyone returning from “international travel” is required to submit written medical clearance before returning to the school or any administrative building -- in effect beginning Monday.

CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK

According to Cuomo, there are six confirmed coronavirus cases in New York State.

Cuomo said the state’s second confirmed coronavirus case is a 50-year-old attorney who works in Manhattan and lives in New Rochelle, N.Y. The four new coronavirus cases are tied to the man, which include his wife, two of his children, and his neighbor who drove him to the hospital.

The schools the man’s two children attend, SAR Academy and High School in the Bronx and Yeshiva University in Manhattan, have both been shut down for Wednesday, according to Cuomo.

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.

Globally, there have been over 93,000 confirmed cases, according to the World Health Organization, and over 100 cases have been confirmed in the United States. The Washington State Department of Health announced on Tuesday that nine deaths have been confirmed in the state -- the only state currently with confirmed deaths.

CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE:

4 additional coronavirus cases confirmed in N.Y.; bringing state total to 6

Health Department tracking down possible contacts of second confirmed coronavirus case

Coronavirus risk ‘remains low’ in NYC; same-day testing now available, officials say

Staten Island hospitals preparing for coronavirus; testing could be done on S.I.

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