Coronavirus: Attleboro Student In Self-Quarantine, Schools Closed

ATTLEBORO, MA — The Attleboro Superintendent of Schools Office announced Friday that a student at one of the city's schools was placed into self-quarantine out of a precaution for coronavirus and that Attleboro Public Schools are closed all next week. Attleboro Public Schools said the student was not at any know risk factor for COVID-19, but was experiencing symptoms consistent with possible exposure.

"The student has not been in schools since Tuesday," the statement said, "so there is not threat of contagion (Friday) as all of our schools are cleaned thoroughly each night."

Schools were closed for a week in consultation of the health department, mayor and school committee.

The statement said the action was taken as a mitigation measure to halt person-to-person spread of the coronavirus as part of a city effort to prevent sustained community spread in Attleboro. The statement continued: "We will continue to assess conditions and make a decision next week about whether to end or extend the cancellation past the 20th."

Attleboro Public Schools said the last day of school will now be June 23 and that will remain the last day of school regardless of any further cancellations.

"Families can plan confidently for this to be the final day of our school year," the statement said.

"We fully understand the disruption this causes to everyone's normal routines, but ask for everyone's patience as we navigate the quickly evolving circumstances of this global crisis," The Superintendent's office said. "The decision to put public safety ahead of our educational mission reflects our commitment to protect not only our students, but the families and especially their vulnerable members, as well as the dedicated staff who serve this community so capably."

LIST: All school and college closings across Massachusetts.

Several school districts are closing for anywhere from weeks to a month as officials scramble to curtail the spread of the new coronavirus. Everett Public Schools was the first to announce a prolonged break, saying Thursday afternoon it would cancel class for 30 days. Arlington, Bedford, Belmont, Burlington, Lexington and Winchester followed suit soon after, saying they were closing until March 27.

(More on the coronavirus can be found in this fact sheet from the CDC.)

Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that include the common cold as well as much more serious diseases. The strain that emerged in China in late 2019, now called COVID-19, is related to other that have caused serious outbreaks in recent years, including severe acute respiratory syndromes (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). The first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the U.S. was on Jan. 21.

The disease, which apparently originated in animals, is now transferring from person to person, although the mechanism is not yet fully understood. Its symptoms include fever, coughing and shortness of breath, and many patients develop pneumonia. There is as yet no vaccine against COVID-19 it and no antiviral treatment.

According to the CDC, the best way of preventing the disease is to avoid close contact with people who are sick, to avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands, to wash you hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and to use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available. To avoid spreading any respiratory illness, the CDC recommends staying at home when you are sick, covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue and throwing the tissue in the trash, cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces.

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