Following the urging by federal health officials for communities to prepare for the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the United States, we recognize there are a lot of questions about the virus itself as well as our plans for managing the situation with our students and staff.

Our admin team is working in collaboration with superintendents throughout the region to make sure our staff and schools have the resources and partners needed and are ready to address any threat immediately and efficiently.

 Here are some things to know right now:

• We are keeping our website updated with information about COVID-19 as we receive it. You can find information on the Diseases and Conditions here CDC.gov pages. 
• The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) has activated a statewide 2-1-1 call center where people can call to receive current information about COVID-19.
• COVID-19 fact sheets are available in English, Spanish and Chinese.
• The OHA’s Communicable Disease Team has initiated an incident command structure to ensure we are prepared to manage this situation. At this time, their priorities are:
• Managing the flow of incoming and changing information
• Public communication
• Health care readiness and communication
• Each Tuesday, OHA will post data on persons under monitoring (PUM) and persons under investigation (PUI) on its website http://healthoregon.org/coronavirus.                                                                                                   

In addition, the CDC recommends taking the following precautions to stay healthy: 

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. (If soap is unavailable, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.)
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
• Stay home when you’re sick to avoid infecting others.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a cleaning spray or wipe.

We are also working with our staff to keep our schools clean and students healthy. We have encouraged any staff with respiratory illnesses to stay home.

The novel coronavirus started spreading in Wuhan, China, and there have been some media reports about discrimination. We ask that you and your family be mindful that bullying of students based on race, color, national origin, or disability is unacceptable in our school district.

We will share additional information here as soon as it becomes available. At this time, we are working with Oregon Health Authority, Oregon Department of Education, and the Center on Disease Control for further instruction and updates.