Norwood Schools Cancel Trips To France, Italy Amid Coronavirus

NORWOOD, MA — Students in Norwood Public Schools will have to wait until next year for their Europe trip. The district canceled trips scheduled to travel to France and Italy this year amidst the spread of the new Coronavirus. Norwood Schools Superintendent David Thomson said the district is looking into rescheduling the trips for next year.

Italy is one of four countries on the Center for Disease Control's list of level three travel health notices. The CDC recommends that travelers avoid all nonessential travel to Italy, South Korea, Iran and China due to widespread, sustained ongoing transmission of the virus in the country. Iran and China are the only two countries with restrictions on entry to the United States.

As of Thursday afternoon, France had 377 confirmed cases of the virus and Italy had 3,858.

There are 209 confirmed cases of the virus in the U.S. but only one case was confirmed in Massachusetts and one presumptive positive case. None of the cases have been in Norwood.

COVID-19, is related to others that have caused serious outbreaks in recent years, including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). The first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the U.S. was on Jan. 21. 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.

Thomson said the district has been in constant communication with parents and the community about efforts to keep students safe and healthy.

"We continue to implement our antiviral cleaning procedures, instituted and continued since the swine flu a few years ago," Thomson said, "In general, we are in close contact with both our local board of health and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and are following all advisories."

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 your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and to use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent 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. More information about COVID-19 and tips to stay healthy can be found on the CDC website.

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