Coronavirus Prep: Westlake Schools Planning With Health Officials

WESTLAKE, OH — Westlake Schools are monitoring the new coronavirus and are working with officials from the Ohio Department of Health and the Cuyahoga County Board of Health to develop plans to reduce risk to the district.

"The Westlake City School District takes the health and well-being of our students and staff seriously, and we are asking for parent support in keeping sick children home to prevent the spread of illness. We will continue to monitor the situation and obtain updates from the Ohio Department of Health and local health officials, and we will inform you of any adjustment we need to make to our school plan," the district said in an email to families.

COVID-19 is caused by a member of the coronavirus family that’s a close cousin to the SARS and MERS viruses that have caused outbreaks in the past. There are currently no confirmed cases of the new coronavirus in Ohio.

"We wanted to let you know we will continue to clean and disinfect surfaces nightly throughout our buildings, focusing on high-touch, high-traffic areas with products specifically designed to kill viruses, including norovirus and coronaviruses," the district said.

Westlake Schools said parents and children should follow the same health and safety tips they practice during flu season to halt the spread of coronavirus.

• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Germs spread this way.
• Clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that may be contaminated with germs.

The district further urged parents to keep their children home if they begin to feel ill. Children who need nonprescription medication to relieve symptoms should not be sent to school either, the district said. That medication will likely wear off during the school day.

School officials also said there is still time to get a flu shot. Influenza activity is still widespread, and dangerous, in the Buckeye State.

Nationally, health officials are warning Americans about the possible spread of coronavirus. A Washington man died this week from COVID-19, marking the first known death connected to the illness in the United States as the total number of cases in the country rose to 22, with cases confirmed in individuals who had not traveled to areas affected by the virus.

The virus — which originated in Wuhan, China — has infected at least 83,600 people internationally, and 2,800 people have died, according to the World Health Organization. It is spreading so quickly overseas that infectious disease experts and scientists warn there may be no way to contain it.

Thousands of others across the country are being monitored for the new coronavirus, including 8,400 people in the state of California, and more than 230 people in Massachusetts who may have been exposed to the virus are being monitored and self-quarantined in their homes.