March 10, 2020 (sent at 9:20 p.m.)
Dear CH-UH Families, Staff & Community Members,
I’d like to provide an update on things that our District leaders have learned and have been working on with regard to COVID-19 since our last communication this morning. At this time we have no confirmed cases of coronavirus among CH-UH City Schools employees or students.
The decision to close school will be based on guidance and recommendations from the Cuyahoga County Board of Health, the Ohio Department of Health, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We spoke directly to Cuyahoga County Health officials this morning and they indicated there was no need to close any of our school buildings at this time.
Absenteeism
We are requesting parents/guardians report ALL student respiratory illnesses to their building’s attendance office, such as the flu, RSV, and whooping cough, in addition to any situation that may have resulted in exposure to the coronavirus.
The symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, cough and shortness of breath. Keep children who exhibit these symptoms home from school, notify the school of your child’s absence and seek medical attention from a healthcare professional. A child must be fever-free, without fever-reducing medication, for 24 hours before returning to school.
We will continue our usual monitoring of absenteeism and will report large increases of absences to local health officials.
For members of our school community who are immune-compromised or have other health issues, COVID-19 is understandably a serious concern. The CDC has a
list of suggestions on how to stay healthy.
Athletic/school events & travel
For sporting events, the District will follow guidelines from OHSAA which we expect to receive tomorrow.
School events will be considered on a case-by-case basis; cancellations and postponements will be communicated. While we cannot stop anyone from traveling on their personal time, we encourage those who plan to take spring break trips to monitor the spread of COVID-19 in and around their destination, and keep a close eye out for signs and symptoms of the virus upon return. We also highly suggest monitoring the
CDC’s travel advisories as these can change quickly.
Points to reiterate to students
Masks are generally unnecessary for healthy people to wear,
according to the CDC. You should only wear a mask if a healthcare professional recommends it. Gloves are also unnecessary. Instead, wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
Disinfecting areas
Cleaners utilized the Clorox 360 disinfecting machine throughout Monticello this evening and in the auditorium this morning. This was after district officials learned that a child outside of CH-UH who had come into contact with an infected person had spent time last week in the auditorium. This child has not exhibited any signs or symptoms of the virus and is currently on a voluntary self-quarantine.
The 360 machine will only be used in buildings or spaces of concern. Our Building Standards require that all student desks are wiped down each day with a disinfectant. In their daily duties, building cleaning staff disinfect virtually all touch surfaces.
The District has purchased additional hand sanitizer units and we are expecting a delivery in the next couple of weeks. Staff will then replace all the existing units with new Purell soap and hand sanitizers.
As always, we will continue to communicate with you as new developments occur.
Thank you,
Superintendent Liz Kirby