Caldwells Coronavirus Update: Schools Closed, Message Of Hope – Caldwells, NJ Patch

CALDWELLS, NJ — There’s one thing that residents of the Caldwells can count on as the nation continues to cope with the new coronavirus known as COVID-19: each other.

As schools in the Caldwells close and events get cancelled, local authorities are praising residents for “putting their love of country and their fellow mankind over their individual needs and wants.”

The West Caldwell Police Department offered a message of hope and community spirit on Friday.

“I am writing this evening to reassure you that we are going to make it through this. The West Caldwell Police Department is standing by your side ready, willing and able to help if the need arises. This is what we train and prepare for, so in the worst of times we can provide a professional service to the community and do our part to help bring us back to normalcy. We are working with our State, County and Local Health Departments, Office of Emergency Management, First Aid Squad, law enforcement partner agencies, town and school officials. To date I am happy to announce that we do not have any cases of COVID-19. That is squarely on the fact that you are heeding the advice of the health experts.

“It is during these unusual times where ordinary people step up and do extraordinary things. Putting their love of country and their fellow mankind over their individual needs and wants. We are already hearing stories of the things that our residents are doing to support one another. From the concerned neighbor checking on the elderly, to the mom running in slippers to bring their friend those essential household goods that the store temporarily ran out of, and others just sitting and listening to ease other’s anxiety.

“This too shall pass and we will all come out stronger. Hug your loved ones, count your blessings and above all stick together.”

SCHOOLS CLOSING

Public schools in Caldwell-West Caldwell, North Caldwell and the West Essex Regional School District will be closing due to the coronavirus, officials say.

Caldwell-West Caldwell Public School District

The Caldwell-West Caldwell Public School District will be enacting its remote learning plan beginning on Monday, March 16. (Read the district’s full message)

School buildings will be closed to students for the entire week, March 16 – 20, and instruction will be provided by the teachers via Google Classroom, other learning platforms, email and some traditional paper/pencil activities, administrators said.

“We anticipate that this may well last longer than one week, but we will update everyone as quickly as possible regarding next steps,” school administrators said.

All CWC events scheduled through Sunday, March 22 – including the GCMS March Madness fundraiser, the SATs at JCHS on Saturday, March 14 and the Caldwell Community Center Coffee House on March 13 – will be postponed or cancelled.

Families eligible for free/reduced lunch can pick up the meals at Harrison School, 104 Gray Street, West Caldwell, each school day between 11 a.m. and noon. The meals will be cold and packaged in a “grab-and-go” style for ease of pick up.

CWC school officials added: “We understand the significant impact that a change like this can have on our community, and did not come to the decision lightly. Social distancing is known to prevent the spread of coronavirus, and we want to take every precaution to protect the safety and wellness of all community members. Local health officials have strongly advised that students should continue to practice social distancing even when schools are closed.”

North Caldwell Public School District

Starting on Monday, March 16, all schools in the North Caldwell Public School District will be closed for 10 school days.

During this time, the district will be monitoring the events of COVID-19 with the local Board of Health in determining the need to continue with the closure, school administrators said. (Read their full statement)

The North Caldwell Public School District will be rolling out its distance learning plan, and students will be able to access their lessons online starting Monday, March 16.

“We understand that this closure will cause great inconvenience, but evidence has been mounting that social distancing is the most successful containment strategy,” school officials said. “Closing schools is one of the most effective measures a community can do to slow contagion. However, the effectiveness of school closures is based on the premise that children stay home with their families and limit other contacts to the extent possible.”

West Essex Regional School District

The West Essex Regional School District will be closing on Monday, March 16 to Friday, March 27 in response to the coronavirus. The closure includes the postponement of all extracurricular activities, athletics and field trips, officials said. (Read their full statement)

While closed, school campuses will be off-limits to visitors, officials said.

Students are expected to begin learning remotely on Monday, March 16.

“West Essex is well-equipped for distance learning, and we are confident in our ability to provide continued instruction aligned to curriculum standards,” administrators said. “We appreciate your patience and cooperation as we navigate through these unprecedented times.”

Essex County College

Essex County College is having a recess of on-campus Spring I Semester classes through Sunday, March 22. The recess affects both the Newark and West Essex (West Caldwell) campuses, school administrators said.

During the recess, online programs and classes will be held, said ECC’s President, Dr. Anthony E. Munroe. Also, Nursing and Health Sciences courses will continue the week of March 16. Students will be notified by Thursday, March 19 with their assignments for when instruction resumes on Monday, March 23. ECC’S Spring II Term will also begin on Monday, March 23 instead of the originally scheduled March 16.

The college’s Study Abroad program has also been suspended. Community events are cancelled until further notice. Plans will be made to make up for the extra week of missed classes later in the term, officials said.

CORONAVIRUS IN NEW JERSEY

The number of people with the coronavirus in New Jersey had risen to 69 as of Saturday. Authorities said two people have died. Read more: NJ Coronavirus Updates: Here’s What You Need To Know

Gov. Phil Murphy has declared a state of emergency, schools across the state have begun to cancel classes, and local governments and community organizations have launched their own efforts to protect residents from the virus.

In general — depending on where they live — New Jersey residents still face a “low risk” of contracting COVID-19, State Epidemiologist Christina Tan said during a Wednesday press conference.

There have been more than 2,900 confirmed U.S. cases of the new coronavirus as of Sunday morning according to Johns Hopkins University, which says the disease also has killed 57 people nationwide.

New Jersey Coronavirus Updates: Don’t miss local and statewide announcements about novel coronavirus precautions. Sign up for Patch alerts and daily newsletters.

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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