Wellesley Schools, Town Offices Reopen After Coronavirus Case

WELLESLEY, MA — Wellesley schools and town building reopened on Monday following a temporary closure on Friday due to a case of the new Coronavirus. A parent of students in two Wellesley schools tested positive for COVID-19, prompting the closures of Upham and Wellesley Middle School.

In a notice to residents, Wellesley officials announced the reopening of the schools and town buildings. The notice said there are no additional presumed positive cases of COVID-19 in the Town and no students showing symptoms. The schools were thoroughly cleaned and safe for students to return, the notice said.

"As our main priority remains keeping our community safe, we are considering additional ways to decrease exposure and associated risk by limiting activities in our community.No firm decisions have been made at this time, but we are encouraging all residents to make the personal health decisions they feel are best for themselves and their families," reads the town notice.

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.