PHOENIX — The coronavirus outbreak that has sickened tens of thousands of people worldwide, hundreds of people in the U.S. and at least six in Arizona is prompting school districts across the state to take action.
12 News has obtained statements from school districts across Arizona about how school officials are responding to the outbreak and how students and families can prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Here are those statements, in no particular order:
Higley Unified School District (Gilbert):
"Higley Unified School District is in close contact with state and county health officials regarding COVID-19.
"Coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19 is a new respiratory disease. It is part of a family of viruses called coronavirus, which are in circulation and can cause illnesses, like the common cold. This web page is designed to provide a synopsis of the situation and how Higley Unified School District (HUSD) has and will continue to address the health and well-being of our students and staff.
"HUSD has activated its incident command response team in order to provide our students, staff and families support.
"While HUSD will continue to update this webpage, we encourage everyone to seek out additional information from reliable health agencies."
Kyrene School District (Tempe):
"Kyrene School District is in close contact with state and county health officials regarding Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). There are no cases of COVID-19 in Kyrene School District. We strongly encourage Kyrene families and staff to bookmark www.maricopa.gov/coronavirus for the most current and accurate information."
Phoenix Union High School District (Phoenix):
"Flu season activity is higher than normal this year, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently provided updates regarding Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).
"Please know that we are monitoring the spread of this infectious disease closely, alongside the Maricopa County Department of Public Health.
"To slow the spread of respiratory viruses, it is recommended that you wash your hands frequently, avoid close contact with people who are sick, cover your mouth when coughing, and stay home when you are sick. Students and employees with a fever of 100.0 F degrees or above, should stay home until they are fever-free for 24 hours without taking fever-reducing medications.
"We remain in close contact with county and state health officials regarding the COVID-19, and we will keep you updated with any developments that could impact our community or schools."
Peoria Unified School District (Peoria):
"As you may know, flu season activity is higher than normal this year, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently provided updates regarding Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).
"Please know that we are monitoring the spread of this infectious disease closely, alongside Maricopa County Department of Public Health, and can report that there are no current confirmed cases of COVID-19 in our district or Maricopa County. In addition, officials assure us that the risk in our community, at this time, is low.
"This is a good time to review preventative measures we can all take to stop the spread of respiratory viruses, such as the flu. It is recommended that you conduct frequent hand washing, avoid close contact with people who are sick and stay home when you are sick. A reminder that students with a fever above 100.0 should stay home until they are fever-free for 24-hours.
"Know that our school district is taking precautions inside of our classrooms, in order to ensure a healthy learning environment for your children, such as disinfecting of learning, eating and play spaces, as well as encouraging our staff to take proper preventative measures. The CDC does not recommend that people who are well wear a facemask to protect themselves from respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19.
"We will continue to remain in close contact with county and state health officials regarding the COVID-19 and we will keep you updated with any developments that could impact our community or schools. Should you have additional questions or concerns, you can always reach out to your school nurse, or contact us at the district office at 623-486-6000."
Scottsdale Unified School District (Scottsdale):
"Coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19 (previously known as 2019 novel coronavirus or 2019-nCoV), is a new respiratory virus first identified in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. It is part of a larger family of viruses called coronavirus, some of which are in circulation normally and can cause illnesses like the common cold. This web page is designed to provide a synopsis of the situation and how SUSD has and will continue to be ready to protect student and staff health and well-being."
Gilbert Public Schools (Gilbert):
"Gilbert Public Schools continues to be updated frequently by the Arizona Department of Health Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regarding the Coronavirus. Should there be a need to update our parents and community on anything regarding the Coronavirus COVID-19, official information will be shared through email and on our district website.
"Please be assured, our district health services team, administrators, teachers, and staff take precautions inside our classrooms and schools every day to promote a healthy learning environment for our students.
"If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out directly to your child’s school."
Mesa Public Schools (Mesa):
"We understand that there may be concern over coronavirus disease 2019, also known as COVID-19, due to media reports about a recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advisory. Maricopa County Department of Public Health has assured us there are 0 cases of COVID-19 in our community, and overall risk to the public remains low. Although there is no confirmed community spread in the U.S., experts predict there could eventually be community spread."
For a complete list of statements from other Arizona school districts, click here.
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