Oyster Bay Schools Close After Bus Workers Get Coronavirus

OYSTER BAY, NY — Two Oyster Bay-East Norwich Central School District transportation contractor employees have tested positive for COVID-19, known as the new coronavirus, according to a message from Laura Seinfeld, the district's superintendent.

Seinfeld noted in the message on the school district's website that the contractor the employees work for takes students to locations other than district schools.

The Department of Health is contacting the families of students who have been transported by these drivers to inform them of required quarantines and plans to monitor them.

Seinfeld said there have been no confirmed cases of the new coronavirus among students or staff.

Schools closed Tuesday for further cleaning.

See the message from Superintendent Seinfeld 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
• Oyster Bay 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.

This article has been corrected to reflect that the people infected were not known to be drivers.