The Roane County School System issued a statement this morning regarding the coronavirus. The statement is as follows:

“Dear Roane County Schools families and employees:

Given the recent and elevated attention to COVID-19 (Coronavirus) in national and local media, I want to reach out and share with you information and important health tips. There are currently no cases of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) in Tennessee. Even the typical influenza cases seem to currently be in decline in our area. However, I met with the leadership team on Monday morning to review our plans and related policies, specifically the board policies on Communicable Diseases (Policy 6.403) and our Emergency Preparedness Plan (Policy 3.202). The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) are working closely to share information with school districts regarding this issue. We are also staying in close contact with the Tennessee Department of Health and the Tennessee Department of Education. It is important that we operate on a system of facts in cases such as this and not let fear or social media drive the discussion and decision-making process.

We are always focused on providing a safe environment for our staff and students. Our district staff tracks absenteeism daily at each school. We work with our cleaning provider to provide extra sanitation efforts during the flu season which includes extra cleaning of high contact areas as well as other parts of the school. Also, our bus fleet is sanitized to help prevent the spread of germs.

Below are some general helpful tips from the CDC we can utilize to help ensure personal health:

Remember it’s not too late for a flu vaccination. See your health provider for additional information.
Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.

If you are sick with flu symptoms, CDC recommends that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or for other necessities. (Your fever should be gone for 24 hours without the use of a fever-reducing medicine.)

Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Germs spread this way.

Cough into the sleeve of your shirt or use tissues that are then properly disposed of after use.

For additional information regarding COVID-19 (Coronavirus), please visit http://CDC.gov.

Sincerely,
LaDonna McFall, Ed.D.
Director of Schools”