Dear Bedford Families ~
I would like to thank all of you who have reached out to be helpful with respect to the growing concern over Covid-19. Please know this is a dynamic situation. Rest assured, as we receive information and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and the Department of Health and Human Services, we will keep you updated.
As of now, Covid-19 is not widespread in the United States and thus all the circulating respiratory illness is highly likely not to be novel corona virus but common cold and flu.
Please direct any questions you may have to the school where your child attends. We will be working to disseminate information as it becomes available.
At this time, the best precautions to take are the same you would take for any flu. We ask you to do the following;
Stay home if you are sick. The schools will work with students, as they always do, to accommodate make-up work and instruction.
Wash your hands often and cover your mouth. Easy.
If you are returning from travel from mainland China, we ask you to observe a voluntary 14 day quarantine. Please contact your school to coordinate with the NH department of health services.
If you are returning from other international areas, please assess your health and see the FAQ below for further guidance.
Thanks again and welcome back! I look forward to seeing you at school and around town.
Some FAQ’s:
1. What is the Bedford School District doing about those who traveled to China?
Students, staff, and volunteers who have returned from mainland China are being monitored by public health authorities and will stay home for 14 days after their arrival.
2. What precautions should be taken for students, staff, and volunteers who traveled internationally?
Students, staff, and volunteers who have returned from other locations with travel notices for COVID-19 may continue to attend work and school. They are counseled to remain alert for fever or respiratory symptoms (e.g., cough, shortness of breath). If symptoms develop the individual should:
Take their temperature with a thermometer
Stay home and avoid close contact with other people
Seek health advice by phone from either a healthcare provider or the NH DPHS at 603-271-4496 (after hours 603-271-5300).
Before going to a doctor’s office or emergency room, the individual should call ahead and tell the provider or office about recent travel and symptoms.
Practice strict respiratory etiquette and hand hygiene including covering the nose and mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing and washing hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
Symptomatic individuals should wear a surgical mask when traveling outside of the home (e.g., to a doctor’s office) to protect others.
3. What should be done for those who become sick at school?
If students, staff or volunteers come to the nurse’s office or health services with a fever, cough, shortness of breath, or other respiratory symptoms AND have traveled from any locations with any travel notices for COVID-19 in the 14 days prior to symptom onset OR had recent close contact with a person suspected to be infected with COVID-19, we will do the following:
Call the parents/guardians of the student
Handle as we would for all flu-like symptoms
Call NH DPHS at 603-271-4496 (after-hours 603-271-5300) for additional guidance.
4. What will happen if a person at our school is diagnosed with Covid-19?
If a student, staff member, or volunteer in our schools is diagnosed with COVID-19, we will work very closely with the CDC and NH DPHS to take the appropriate actions for the individual and the community.
5. At what point will we consider closing a school or cancelling school events due to COVID-19?
We will consult with the CDC and NH DPHS for guidance on preemptive closings, should they become necessary.
6. Where can I go for the most up-to-date information about the COVID-19 outbreak?
Outbreaks involving COVID-19 evolve quickly and recommendations from public health officials may change as new information becomes available. Please check the following websites often for updated information:
U.S. CDC website: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019ncov/summary.html
Click HERE for today’s press conference by NH State Officials
