Glen Cove Schools Close After Bus Employee Gets Coronavirus

GLEN COVE, NY — A Glen Cove City School District transportation contractor has tested positive for COVID-19, known as the new Coronavirus, according to a message from Superintendent Maria Rianna.

As a result, schools are closed on Tuesday.

The district is working with the Nassau County Department of Health to ensure students' and staff's health and safety, the message from the superintendent says.

The parents and guardians of students involved have been notified.

See the message from Superintendent Rianna here.

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See also:

• Cuomo Signs $40M Bill To Battle Coronavirus
• Coronavirus On Long Island: Schools Close As Disease Spreads
• Coronavirus: 142 NY Cases, Schools Close, State Makes Hand Soap
• Glen Cove Schools Respond To Coronavirus Outbreak
• Greenport Harbor Brewery Worker Is 1st Suffolk Coronavirus Case

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Monday that state health and education officials will work together to issue guidance for schools in the event that students, teachers and other staff test positive for the virus. Under the policy, schools would have to close for at least 24 hours to allow the school enough time to disinfect buildings.

On Monday, all schools in the Shoreham-Wading River School District in Suffolk County were closed after a staff member's spouse may have been exposed to coronavirus. Also on Monday, it was confirmed that a worker at a popular Long Island brewery was the first Suffolk County patient being treated for coronavirus.

Hofstra University canceled all in-person classes this week after a student reported flu-like symptoms and Columbia University canceled all classes Monday and Tuesday after a school member was exposed to the disease, officially known as COVID-19. Scarsdale schools also just announced it would shut down through March 18.

Laura Curran, the Nassau County executive, postponed her annual State of the County address — initially scheduled for Wednesday — to focus on the virus.

Cuomo told reporters Monday state officials will send schools, the MTA and other public entities its own hand sanitizer consisting of 75 percent alcohol. The move is meant to combat price-gouging.

"This is a superior product to products now in the market," Cuomo said, noting that the sanitizer comes in a variety of flavors. The soap is cheaper than anything the government would be able to buy, he said.