Coronavirus: School Trips Still On In Southington

SOUTHINGTON, CT — So far, concerns over the Coronavirus have not affected schedules in any public schools in Southington, nor any extracurricular activities.

"Right now there has been no tangible effect," Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connellan said.

Connellan added that student overseas field trips are scheduled for April.

"We are waiting to make a decision on those trips right now, but will probably do so within the next two weeks," he said. "The departure dates are about six weeks away so we do have some time. We are trying to help our families navigate the potential trip insurance related issues."

He concluded, "Other than that we are working with our local and State Health departments to monitor and share information."

There have been no reported cases of Coronavirus in Connecticut as of early this week. Several states across the United States have reported positive cases.

State and local health officials have issued some guidelines:

• Keep children who are sick at home. Don't send them to school. Consult your doctor.
• Teach children to wash hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds. Parents and caregivers can set a good example by doing this themselves.
• Teach children to cover coughs and sneezes with tissues or by coughing into the inside of the elbow.
• Monitor travel alerts issued by the CDC specific to COVID-19 if you are planning trips, particularly for the upcoming breaks.

For more tips, see the Connecticut Department of Public Health website:

• https://portal.ct.gov/DPH/Public-Health-Preparedness/Main-Page/2019-Novel-Coronavirus