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From the Desk of Dr. Halley: Coronavirus Communication Part 1

By Halley, Heath on March 05, 2020

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At Putnam County R-I Schools the health, safety, and well-being of our students and staff are our top priorities. With the recently elevated discussion regarding the coronavirus (COVID-19) in the news and its potential impact on our schools, we want to take a moment to reinforce preventive safety measures and reference our process and communications.

Please be assured that we have been closely monitoring the situation and are collaborating with the Putnam County Health Department, and taking guidance from the Missouri Department of Health and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

We all play a role in reducing the likelihood of a Coronavirus outbreak in our school district and community. We encourage everyone to practice good habits to prevent the spread of communicable disease, including:

• Hand Hygiene: Wash your hands regularly, especially after using the restroom and before preparing or consuming food. Using soap and hot water, wash for about 20 seconds. Be sure to also wash your fingertips. If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with 60% - 95% alcohol.  

• Respiratory Etiquette: Avoid coughing or sneezing into your hands or in the air. Always try to cough or sneeze into a tissue, and then throw the tissue away. If you don’t have a tissue, cough/sneeze into your arm.

• As much as you can, avoid touching your eyes, mouth, and nose.

• Voluntary Home Isolation: Stay home when you are sick with respiratory disease symptoms. At the present time, these symptoms are more likely due to influenza or other respiratory viruses than to COVID-19 related virus. If your child is feeling sick, please keep them home from school. Allow them some time to feel better so that they do not risk infecting others. Please keep in mind that giving your child a fever reducer and sending them to school only delays their recovery and in the meantime exposes other students to illness. 

• Environmental Health Action: Routinely clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces and objects. 

At PCR-I Schools, we are taking extra precautions to limit the spread of germs by disinfecting school buses after each route and cafeterias between lunches. School custodians have been instructed to wipe down commonly touched surfaces each day with disinfectant.

We are working hard to stay informed so that we are ready to respond if widespread illness causes greater impacts, such as school closures. We are hopeful that school closures won’t happen, but it is critical to be prepared. 

Staff have been directed to be vigilant and keep an eye on our students. If a teacher or other staff member has concerns about a student's health they have been directed to contact our school nurse.

If you have any questions, please contact our school nurse, Ms. Stephanie Overton at 660-947-3361 ext 319 or soverton@putnamcountyr1.net or Dr. Heath Halley, Superintendent, at 660-947-3361 ext 302 or hhalley@putnamcountyr1.net.

Additional resources: 

• MO Department of Elementary and Secondary Education  Information on Coronavirus

• U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Information <https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-in-us.html>