Tuolumne County Schools taking Coronavirus Precautions
The Tuolumne County Superintendent of Schools (TCSOS) Office in collaboration with local school districts and Tuolumne County Public Health are closely monitoring the coronavirus (now named COVID-19) situation. Currently, there are no confirmed cases of coronavirus in Tuolumne County. I wanted to share with the community the precautions our schools are taking to ensure student safety and health.
My office (TCSOS) stays in continuous contact with agency partners such as California Department of Health Care Services, the California Department of Public Health, the California Department of Education (CDE), local health officials, and our neighboring counties for ongoing information, guidance, and coordination. TCSOS has conference calls twice a week with Dr. Eric Sergienko, Interim Tuolumne County Public Health Officer, and are meeting with the Tuolumne County Health Care & Safety Coalition weekly. I, along with other county superintendents, met on Monday in Sacramento with Governor Newson and the California Public Health Officer, Dr. Angell, to discuss best practices in controlling and mitigating the spread of this virus. We also discussed the necessity of recognizing the needs of rural school districts when allocating resources and funds to protect our students and families. I feel confident that all schools in Tuolumne are doing our part for the community to help reduce the spread of the virus in order to reduce impacts on health care services.
All schools have instituted an increase in the frequency of school cleaning procedures, methods, and devices. This includes classrooms, busses, and high-traffic areas. Additionally, our County School nurses are working with school staff to educate students about the importance of proper and frequent handwashing.
We have issued guidelines to districts and within our county programs to avoid non-essential travel for students and staff to counties that are experiencing community transmission. For travel to counties that are not experiencing community transmission, we ask that schools evaluate the necessity of the trips and to delay or reschedule those trips to a later date. My office has suspended out of county travel for employees at least through Spring Break and we will re-examine those policies each day as the situation evolves.
If a situation occurs in our county involving a student, we will work collaboratively with local districts and public health to contain and protect our students, their families and their community. This may include school closures and you will be notified accordingly.
What can you do?
Please continue to practice these strategies for staying healthy:
- Handwashing remains our first defense against illness. Please wash hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- If children are not feeling well while at school, or exhibiting signs of illness, have them check in with the school office.
- Communicate all health concerns with your physician.
- If children have a fever, keep them home until they are fever free for 24 hours without medication.
The safety and wellness of our students, staff, and families is our top priority.
Ways you can stay informed? Please talk to your school’s principal with concerns. You may also reach out to me at cparker@tcsos.us or at (209)536-2010. Updates are published on our website at https://www.tcsos.us/newsroom/2019-novel-coronavirus/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/tcsos.us/
