COVID-19 Being Monitored By Stafford School Officials

STAFFORD, CT — So far, concerns over the Novel Coronavirus have not affected schedules in any schools in Stafford, nor any extracurricular activities.

A recent letter sent to parents and staff indicated school officials are in contact with the North Central District Health Department in monitoring the public health concern, Superintendent of Schools Steven Moccio said.

"My office and the head nurse continue to be in contact with the North Central District Health Department and is monitoring this public health concern," Moccio wrote. He also told Patch, "Stafford has not cancelled any field trips to date, however we are closely monitoring the situation as we do have an international trip scheduled at the end of June."

There have been no reported cases of Novel 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