I am sure you are aware of the national discussion and concern over the Coronavirus (COVID -19). I wanted to provide you with an update regarding COVID-19 and the steps we are taking to ensure the safety of our school community and staff. You may have heard about the number of cases around the world, country, and even a few in Texas. It is important to note that there are no community-acquired COVID-19 cases in our area at this time. However, in an abundance of caution, we are working with numerous organizations to ensure that our protocols are in place should a local crisis occur.
Pampa ISD is currently working with the Region 1 Health Department located in Pampa, Office of Emergency Management for the City of Pampa, and the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) to monitor the situation across our area and state and review steps to help prevent exposure to our community. There is a statewide phone conference each afternoon to hear the latest information and guidance in addition to the ongoing communication we receive from the local, state, and national level.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends the following steps to reduce the chance of spreading the COVID-19 virus:
- Frequent and proper handwashing (soap and water for 20 seconds) and hand sanitizer in between
- Proper cough and sneeze etiquette (cough into the upper sleeve or use tissue and dispose of it)
- Keep hands away from eyes, nose, and mouth
- Stay home if you are sick
Since January, we have been aggressively cleaning our campuses during this cold/flu season and will continue to do so during this spring break week. We are currently taking added preventive measures and implementing reinforced student messaging for students and staff on our campuses to help maintain the cleanest environment possible. Our campuses are being cleaned daily with hospital-grade cleaners and custodial staff is diligently addressing common-touch areas. We are also closely monitoring levels of soap and hand sanitizers available to our students and staff on campus. Our school nurses are also reinforcing messages for students regarding regular hand-washing and other suggested behaviors listed above. In addition, we will continue to monitor the CDC and the Texas DSHS for additional information and guidance and will share information with you regarding any updates.
Upon returning from spring break (and any time your child has been sick) students must be free of fever for 24 hours, without Tylenol or Advil, not vomiting, or have had diarrhea for 24 hours prior to returning to school. In cases like strep or other illnesses where antibiotics are prescribed, the general rule is that students should be on the antibiotics 24 hours before returning to school. All of these guidelines are in place for our staff as well.
Pampa ISD also asks for any students or staff who travel to China, Iran, Italy, South Korea, or Japan over Spring Break (or any additional countries added to the CDC Level 2 and 3 lists this week) to follow CDC guidance and stay home for 14 days after your return from travel. The District will work with each family impacted during this extended absence period to resolve any attendance issues due to the self-quarantine from travel.
The district continues to monitor the CDC’s list of countries with travel alerts and we ask that you stay aware of any additional areas that may be added to the list in the near future. Student and staff safety is our top priority.
The University Interscholastic League (UIL) has canceled or postponed all events over the next 2-3 weeks. We will continue to monitor the closures and events and as information is made available to us, we will update our staff, students, families, and community.
For updated Pampa ISD communication regarding COVID-19, please visit the Pampa ISD website and follow us on Facebook and Twitter where you will find the latest information.
Sincerely,
Dr. Tanya Larkin
Superintendent
Pampa ISD
Published on 03/12/2020
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