No Coronavirus In Nutley; Town, Schools Staying Vigilant – Belleville, NJ Patch

NUTLEY, NJ — Officials in Nutley are taking steps to safeguard residents in the wake of the novel coronavirus dubbed COVID-19.

The coronavirus outbreak has reportedly infected more than 600 and killed at least 22 people in the U.S. As of Monday afternoon, there have been 11 cases identified in New Jersey, none of which have been fatal, officials say.

State health officials have maintained that most New Jersey residents are at “very low risk” of contracting COVID-19.

According to a Monday message from the township board of commissioners and the Nutley Health Department, there are currently no COVID-19 cases in Nutley.

Nutley municipal officials wrote:

“The Township of Nutley Board of Commissioners and the Nutley Health Department understand at this time that our residents are concerned about the coronavirus. We want to assure our residents that we share your concerns. We are diligently working with state and federal health officials to provide you with the most current and accurate information. We will continue to keep you updated as more information is provided.”

Although there are currently no COVID-19 cases in Nutley, being prepared is always the right decision in such cases, officials said. Read the township’s full message.

NUTLEY SCHOOLS

Nutley Public School Superintendent Julie Glazer wrote a letter to the school community on March 4 about the district’s coronavirus response.

Glazer stated:

“As you are aware, the coronavirus (COVID-19) is causing global concern as new cases have been confirmed in the United States this past week. I wanted to take the time to assure you that the health and safety of our students and staff is our top priority and we have been part of regular communication with our local and state health departments, our Essex County school leaders, the Department of Education and the Centers for Disease Control. Based upon information provided from the State and the CDC, we do not face any imminent concerns at this time, but we do want to remind you and your families to implement best practices for good hygiene during this cold and flu season.”

Glazer asked that students and their families take the following steps:

  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
  • If you don’t feel well, please seek out your healthcare provider.
  • Avoid contact with people who are sick.
  • Cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze.
  • Cough and squeeze into a tissue or into your sleeve, not your hands.
  • Use a tissue and then dispose of it.
  • Clean frequently touched objects and surfaces, using a disinfecting spray or wipe.
  • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom, before eating and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.If soap and water are not readily available, use hand sanitizer.
  • Children should not return to school unless they have been fever-free without medication for 24 hours.
  • Get a flu shot to protect yourself against the flu this season– it’s not too late.

“We ask that you keep your children home if they are feeling sick and that you too, stay home, if you are unwell,” Glazer wrote. ” Our school nurses also monitor student and staff absences daily and report any flu-like symptoms to the health department. Please only report to the school that your child has the flu if you have a doctor’s note confirming that.”

The superintendent continued:

“Our staff members are promoting universal precautions among students, including frequent hand washing. Our nurses are visiting our elementary classes to conduct regularly scheduled lessons in the health curriculum, which focus on effective handwashing, coughing and sneezing techniques, use of hand sanitizers and general hygiene. If a student or staff member shows respiratory symptoms, the school nurse will be alerted in order to follow standard precautions.

“We continue to maintain standard procedures for routine cleaning and disinfecting, including daily sanitizing of surfaces and objects that are touched often such as desks, countertops, doorknobs, computer keyboards, hands-on learning materials, faucet handles, and telephones. The Curis sanitizer fogger machine is used daily to disinfect spaces.

“While there are no confirmed cases of the COVID-19 in Nutley, we have policies in place to guide the district through these types of circumstances. District Policy 8451 – Control of Communicable Disease – outlines clear procedures and steps that we follow in any infectious situation. It further requires that we comply with all regulations of the New Jersey Department of Health and the Nutley and Essex County Board of Health offices governing the prevention, control, and reporting of communicable disease. Although these protocols are in place, we recognize this could be an unprecedented situation which may call for additional collaboration and compliance with the directives from local and state agencies. We will also comply with the guidance provided by the New Jersey Department of Education, should it advise that we need to modify the delivery of our instructional programming. As recommended by the CDC, we are in the process of making preparations for the possibility that a spread of the virus in the U.S. may impact school attendance, and/or require us to close schools.”

Glazer offered an update on March 6:

“We know that the continuous updates and information surrounding COVID-19 can be both overwhelming and frightening. However, as I mentioned in my letter earlier this week, we are in constant contact with local, county, state and national health agencies for direction. We do not have any imminent threats, but wanted to reach out to you, with information as it becomes available.

“First, the district will continue to communicate important information with parents and staff via email. As always, in the case of an emergency, an automated phone call will be made. It’s imperative that all parent/guardian contact information is up-to-date in the Realtime Parent Portal. Please take the time this weekend to make sure your info is updated. You can visit the site here.

“Next, please take the time to complete the following brief survey to assist us in gathering data on the community’s ability to access online services from home. This will assist us in the development of contingency plans, should the schools be directed to close at some point. Please click here to take the survey.

“And as a final piece of information, prior to the weekend, the Department of Health and the Nutley Public Schools recommend that all parents or children who have traveled to an area of the world highly impacted by the Coronavirus, contact their child’s principal and/or school nurse prior to sending their child back to school.

“The District and school nurses will refer these cases to our Health Department as they have the jurisdictional responsibility and will work with these families to determine the appropriate timeline for re-entry to school. Please only notify the school district about your own child/children who have recently traveled to a country impacted by the Coronavirus. We cannot discuss the health concerns of other students due to confidentiality restrictions.

“For families who have recently traveled or plan to do so, we encourage you to follow the CDC’s information for travel found here. Attached below, please find a new health alert regarding COVID-19.”

WHAT IS COVID-19?

Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that include the common cold as well as much more serious diseases. The strain that emerged in China in late 2019, now called COVID-19, is related to others that have caused serious outbreaks in recent years, including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). The first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the U.S. was on Jan. 21.

The disease, which apparently originated in animals, is now transferring from person to person, although the mechanism is not yet fully understood. Its symptoms include fever, coughing and shortness of breath, and many patients develop pneumonia. There is as yet no vaccine against COVID-19 it and no antiviral treatment.

According to the CDC, the best way of preventing the disease is to avoid close contact with people who are sick, to avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands, to wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and to use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol if soap and water are not available.

To avoid spreading any respiratory illness, the CDC recommends staying at home when you are sick, covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue and throwing the tissue in the trash, cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces.

The CDC does not recommend that people who are well wear a face mask to protect themselves from respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19. You should only wear a mask if a health care professional recommends it. A face mask should be used by people who have COVID-19 and are showing symptoms. This is to protect others from the risk of getting infected. The use of face masks also is crucial for health workers and other people who are taking care of someone infected with COVID-19 in close settings (at home or in a health care facility).

Residents who have questions about the virus can contact the State of New Jersey’s hotline at 1 (800) 222-1222. The hotline is home of the New Jersey Poison Information and Education System, and is staffed 24 hours a day by state health workers.

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