New Coronavirus: Sarasota School Officials Working On Plan

SARASOTA, FL — Sarasota County Schools is working on a plan to prepare for the new coronavirus, but has not yet announced any specific actions to protect students and faculty or deal with a possible outbreak.

"There are no cases of COVID-19 ... in Florida that the school district has been made aware of, so there is no cause for alarm at this time, however, we are encouraging our schools to proactively plan," a district spokesperson told Patch Wednesday.

In Miami, the nation's fourth largest school district, Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho announced Wednesday the district is halting overseas school trips, placing hand sanitizers on buses, making counseling services available to children with anxiety and changing procedures for new students amid growing concerns over the spread of the illness.

Sarasota County Schools is also working on a plan to address the new coronavirus in consultation with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Florida Department of Health and the Florida Department of Education, the district spokesperson said.

"We will update our entire school community as important information is shared with us by these entities," the district spokesperson said.

Since this is also flu and cold season, the district has shared the following health and wellness tips with staff, teachers, students and families:

• Diligently and thoroughly wash hands
• Cough into the sleeve of your shirt (or tissues that are properly disposed of)
• Avoid sharing food and drinks with others
• Continue to eat healthy foods, exercise and get adequate sleep
• Students/staff/teachers with a fever should be excluded from school until they are fever-free without medication for 24 hours

The district suggests residents visit the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention website on the new coronavirus for the latest information.