Klamath Falls, Ore. – The arrival of Coronavirus in Klamath County has schools monitoring the situation closely.
Saturday’s announcement of a possible case of Coronavirus in Klamath County has had an impact on local schools.
“It has caused us to really starting thinking about down the road.” Notes Klamath Falls City Schools Superintendent Dr. Paul Hillyer. “What are some contingency plans we need to think about.”
“Changed quite a bit for us, actually.” Agrees Klamath County Schools Superintendent Glen Szymoniak. “Because we were looking for a combination of symptoms, and we got clarification on Saturday that with any one of those symptoms that people should be staying home.”
Those symptoms include fever, cough, and difficulty breathing.
Both districts have been using cold and flu season as a teaching opportunity.
“Just sanitation.” Szymoniak notes. “The importance of washing their hands, and controlling their coughs, things like that.”
Hillyer believes the lessons may be paying off. “Just found out this morning that our cases of flu have actually gone down over the past month, and I think part of it’s due to improved hygiene with our students.”
If the illness should progress, public health will make any decisions on potential school closures.
Szymoniak notes that taking students out of class will also take parents out of work. “Schools are an essential service, just like the hospitals are – and so for us to close business would probably be even more dramatic than if the hospitals closed.”
The Klamath County School District has posted answers to many questions regarding Coronavirus on their website: www.kcsd.k12.or.us
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