March 1, 2020
Dear Parents,
Following recent urging by federal health officials for communities to prepare for the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the United States, and after learning of the first case of the virus in Clackamas County, we recognize there are many questions about the virus itself as well as our plans for managing the situation with our students and staff.
As a school, we are in collaboration with our district nurse, Jan Olson. Dr. Olson is working with Clackamas County Public Health, the Clackamas Education Service District, and others throughout the metro area to make sure we are ready to address any threat immediately and efficiently.
Here are some things to know right now:
· You can find information on the Diseases and Conditions here CDC.gov pages.
· The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) has activated a statewide 2-1-1 call center where people can call to receive current information about COVID-19.
· The OHA’s Communicable Disease Team has initiated an incident command structure to ensure we are prepared to manage this situation. At this time, their priorities are:
o Managing the flow of incoming and changing information
o Public communication
o Health care readiness and communication
· Each Tuesday, OHA has announced they will post up-to-date incident data on its website http://healthoregon.org/coronavirus.
In addition, we want to remind you that CDC recommends taking the following precautions to stay healthy:
· Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. (Sing happy birthday to yourself twice) If soap is unavailable, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
· Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
· Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
· Stay home when you’re sick to avoid infecting others.
· Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
· Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a cleaning spray or wipe.
There are steps you as our community can do to help with control of illness:
As parents:
· When your children are sick, please advise our office manager of the symptoms they are experiencing when you call or email.
· Keep your child/children home as directed by your physician or the health department if you have been in contact with a known case of Covid-19
Talk to your children about:
· The importance of not sharing food and drinks
· Covering their coughs and sneezes with a tissue or the crook of their elbow. If they cough or sneeze into their hands they need to wash immediately
· Frequent hand washing (20 seconds or happy birthday twice)
· Not touching their eyes, nose or mouth.
I will share additional information with you as soon as it becomes available. We will also do our best to make sure tables, etc are wiped down daily.
Shelley Urben Executive Director Molalla River Academy 503-829-6672