NOLA-PS Issues Update On Coronavirus, Proactive Steps Being Taken Throughout Schools

NEW ORLEANS – (March 11, 2020) – Today, NOLA Public Schools (NOLA-PS) Superintendent Dr. Henderson Lewis, Jr. and NOLA-PS Chief Operations Officer Tiffany Delcour presented the District’s proactive coronavirus emergency preparedness steps to the New Orleans City Council Smart & Sustainable Cities Committee. NOLA-PS continues to collaborate and coordinate with local, state, and federal agencies to receive updates regarding the Coronavirus in order to disseminate accurate and timely information about the disease to our school community. At this time, there is no reported case of COVID-19 occurring within NOLA public schools.

How The District Is Working With Schools
The district is communicating regularly with local and state agencies and providing direct updates to schools on COVID-19 and steps they need to take to prepare. To this end, NOLA-PS administration has taken several steps including: 

• Provided an on-going checklist of key action steps for schools to prepare in alignment with all federal and local guidance
• Provided specific direction, in accordance with CDC guidance, for how schools should respond when information is received in the event that students or staff may have been exposed to COVID-19 or when a case is identified and connected to an individual school community.
• Convened a working group to plan for long-term needs associated with possible prolonged school closures.
• Instituted communications systems and protocols for schools to report pertinent information to the district, such as travel, absenteeism and needs, as well as to answer questions schools may have.
• Established a webpage on the NOLA-PS website (www.nolapublicschools.com) for parents, teachers, and families that will act as a resource to learn about, prevent, and confront any cases of COVID-19.

In The Event School Closures Are Needed
While there is no direction to close any of our schools at this time, site-specific or system-wide school closure decisions will be made in line with the CDC’s guidance and recommendations from local health agencies. Such direction could occur based on one known case impacting a school community.

NOLA-PS is working with local agencies and schools to plan for short-and long-term impacts of the virus, inclusive of prolonged school closure. Specifically, NOLA-PS is prioritizing planning for continued delivery of critical services, such as instruction, child nutrition, and social and medical services.

Remain Informed and Healthy
NOLA-PS continues to encourage our schools, students, and families to follow everyday practices to remain healthy and monitor their health in accordance with CDC recommendations. Additionally, the District encourages all to remain connected and mindful of updates being disseminated by the district in order to stay informed of how COVID-19 is impacting our school community.
Protecting yourself from Coronavirus COVID-19 (source: Louisiana Department of Health)

About Coronavirus:
Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses, some causing illness in people and others that circulate among animals, including camels, cats and bats. Rarely, animal coronaviruses can evolve and infect people and then spread between people such as has been seen with recent outbreaks of MERS and SARS.

How does Coronavirus COVID-19 spread?
Health experts are still learning the details about how this new coronavirus spreads. Other coronaviruses spread from an infected person to others through:

• Through respiratory droplets produced when coughing and sneezing
• Close personal contact
• Touching an object or surface with the virus on it, then touching your mouth, nose, or eyes
• The Louisiana Office of Public Health encourages schools to increase education on ways to protect staff and students from illnesses such as the cold, flu and also the coronavirus:
• Cover any coughs or sneezes with your elbow. Do not use your hands!
• Wash your hands regularly.
• Clean surfaces frequently, such as countertops, light switches, cellphones and other frequently touched areas.
• Contain – if you are sick, stay home until you are feeling better. 

For more information on the virus, visit http://ldh.la.gov/Coronavirus.
For information on what to do if you are sick, visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/sick-with-2019-nCoV-fact-sheet.pdf.
If you have questions about Coronavirus, please contact the Coronavirus general information line at 1-855-523-2652 from 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday

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About NOLA Public Schools
NOLA Public Schools is the public school district for Orleans Parish, which includes the district’s elected school board, known as the Orleans Parish School Board and the district’s administration led by NOLA Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Henderson Lewis Jr. NOLA Public Schools currently oversees 78 public schools. For more information, visit www.nolapublicschools.com.