Norwood Schools, Offices Open As Usual After Coronavirus

NORWOOD, MA — Norwood schools and town offices were opened as usual and set to stay that way on Monday following the quarantine of 11 town officials who may have been exposed to the new Coronavirus during a party on Friday. The superintendent and the general manager were part of the self-quarantined group.

A person tested positive for COVID-19 after attending the party — the person is a resident but not a town employee or town official, according to town officials, who said they are not releasing that person's identity.

The district is called in custodial staff to sanitize and disinfect all schools and the district office, according to officials, in addition to the regular flu season sanitizing.

On Sunday, officials released an update reminding residents that town offices and schools will be opening and functioning as usual.

"Health Director Reiss posted a public service announcement (PSA) video on the town's website assuring residents that it is okay to go about your normal routines in town and that the risk level of contracting novel coronavirus (COVID-19) still remains low for townspeople and all Massachusetts residents," reads a statement from the town.

General Manager Tony Mazzucco and the 10 other town officials who attended the event began self-quarantine at home Friday and will do so until March 16, which will be 14 days since the end of the event last Sunday afternoon, March 1.

If those who attended the event are asymptomatic on Monday, March 16, they will be eligible to return to work, according to officials. In the meantime, those who are able to, will work remotely.

As of Sunday, the number of cases of the virus in Massachusetts was 28 with one confirmed case. A UMass-Boston student remains the only case confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. COVID-19 has been identified by the state in the 12 other cases and are awaiting CDC confirmation.

Several cases are connected to a recent Biogen biotech conference in Boston. Three of the roughly 175 people who attended the meeting at the Boston Marriott tested positive at state labs for coronavirus, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said on Friday.

The other presumptive positive cases in the state have been traced to international travel, health officials said Friday

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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 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.

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 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.