Franklin Square, Elmont school districts prepare for coronavirus

As the number of Long Islanders testing positive for a new strain of coronavirus continues to rise, school districts in Franklin Square and Elmont are keeping the public informed about their districts’ protocols.

In letters sent home to parents and guardians at the end of February, local superintendents noted that they had met with the county’s health commissioner, Dr. Lawrence Eisenstein, on Feb. 27, and would continue to monitor the spread of the virus.

As of Monday, there were 17 confirmed cases in Nassau County, according to County Executive Laura Curran, and one confirmed case in Suffolk.

Franklin Square School District Superintendent Jared Bloom noted that the district had received permission from the school doctor to begin using alcohol-based sanitizers.

“While soap and water will continue to be the preferred method to wash hands, this will be available under the supervision of our staff,” Bloom wrote, adding that any parents who do not want their children to use hand sanitizers should contact their school principal.

In the Elmont School District, meanwhile, Superintendent Al Harper wrote that students would be asked to wash their hands when they arrive at school, after gym and recess, and after using the bathroom. He also asked parents to keep their children at home if they exhibit mild or moderate flu-like symptoms, including fever, cough and difficulty breathing.

The district was also scheduled to discuss curriculum issues last week, and at a recent Board of Education meeting, Harper suggested that the district might allow students to bring home their tablets to continue learning if they are quarantined. In a more recent letter, he wrote that “while there is no indication that closing schools for an extended period at this time is a possibility in our region, the Elmont School District will continue to be proactive concerning the best ways to communicate with families and educate students if school closures become necessary.”

The first confirmed coronavirus case in Nassau was a 42-year-old man from Uniondale, who works at Mercy Medical Center in Rockville Centre, according to Uniondale School District and Mercy officials.

Uniondale Superintendent Dr. William Lloyd said in a statement on Friday, “The district has been in close contact with Nassau County and New York state health officials, and we have been told that at the current time, there is no reason to take any additional precautionary or preventive measures than those we already have in place.”

Authorities said the man is a part-time employee at Mercy, and they were reviewing with whom he came in contact. Officials said they were unsure how he contracted the illness, but he had not been to work at the hospital for a week.

He was being treated at NYU Winthrop Hospital in Mineola, officials said. Cuomo said on March 5, “His condition keeps improving.”

In a statement to the Herald, Mercy Medical Center said the New York State Department of Health notified the hospital of the case on March 3.  The man last worked an eight-hour shift at Mercy toward the end of February, when he was not exhibiting symptoms, the statement said.

Mercy’s infection-prevention specialists were conducting a contact investigation with people the man may have been in contact with, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, Mercy officials said. They also noted that Catholic Health Services, which Mercy falls under, is “prepared to diagnose and treat patients showing symptoms of COVID-19 while also taking the necessary steps to prevent the spread of the disease.”

“The health system is prepared, and prevention and control protocols are in place to appropriately isolate patients who enter its facilities to prevent the potential transmission of infection,” said Patrick O’Shaughnessy, CHS’s executive vice president and chief clinical officer. “All CHS clinical personnel are educated on the latest CDC and New York State Department of Health coronavirus guidelines and recommendations.”

There are currently no known cases in Franklin Square or Elmont, but school superintendents said they are disinfecting the schools daily and are monitoring the situation.

County officials are investigating each case individually, Eisenstein, the health commissioner, said on Friday. “We want people to be calm,” he said. “We want people to go about their usual business. It is cold and flu season without the presence of coronavirus, and it’s a respiratory virus. What works for cold and flu prevention also works for coronavirus prevention.”

  “We’re taking every step necessary to keep our residents healthy and safe,” Curran tweeted, adding, “Reminder: If you’re sick, call your healthcare provider before visiting. They’ll direct you on next steps.”