March 6, 2020

Dear Parents and Guardians:

This morning State officials announced the first two presumptive cases of coronavirus in the state of Pennsylvania, one being in Wayne County.

As a District, we have been in continuous contact with the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

At Wayne Highlands School District the health, safety and well-being of our students and staff is our top priority. With the recently elevated discussion regarding the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the news, we want to take a moment to reinforce preventive safety measures and reference our process and communications.

Regardless of the reported Wayne County case, at this time, there still has only been a small number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in the United States. As a school district, we will continue to closely monitor the situation and look for guidance from the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). At this time there are no circumstances that would necessitate the district to close schools. If circumstances change, we will communicate immediately.

We all play a role in reducing the likelihood of a coronavirus outbreak in our school district community. We encourage everyone to practice good habits, including:

● Wash your hands regularly, especially after using the restroom and before preparing or consuming food. Using soap and hot water, wash for about 20 seconds. Be sure to also wash your fingertips.

● Avoid coughing or sneezing into your hands or in the air. Always try to cough or sneeze into a tissue, and then throw the tissue away. If you don’t have a tissue, cough/sneeze into your arm.

● As much as you can, avoid touching your eyes, mouth and nose.

● If children are feeling sick, please keep them home from school. Allow them some time to feel better so that they do not risk infecting others.

We encourage our students, staff and families to be mindful of key preventive measures. Both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at https://www.cdc.gov and The PA Department of Health at https://www.health.pa.gov offer tips and guidance that can be useful in avoiding the spread of this and other illnesses.

Sincerely,