School closures no longer recommended for swine flu exposure
SCHOOLS REOPENING
(5/5/2009, 4:25 p.m.)
Corona-Norco USD
Pollard High School
Opening 5/6/09
Desert Sands USD
Indio High School
Opening 5/7/09
Jurupa USD
Mission Bell Elementary School
Opening 5/6/09
Palm Springs USD
Della S. Lindely Elementary
Opening 5/6/09
Riverside County will no longer recommend closures for schools with swine flu exposure and advised schools already closed that they may reopen.
The updated recommendations are in accordance with new guidance released today by the national Centers for Disease Control that no longer suggests school closures if students are sick from swine flu, also known as H1N1 virus for its scientific name.
"We are working closely with all of our partners to ensure we provide guidance to the public with the latest information possible," said County Health Officer Eric Frykman. "We will continue to monitor the local development of this new virus and issue recommendations as needed."
Students and parents from affected schools should contact their respective school administrators for information.
The county Department of Public Health continues to recommend that any people who have flu-like symptoms stay home from work or school to avoid passing any illness unto others. People should cover their nose and mouth during a cough or sneeze and everyone should wash their hands regularly.
The easing of school closure recommendations is being done because most national cases of the H1N1 swine flu virus have not been severe, according to CDC officials. Anyone who feels ill and suspects it may be flu is still urged to stay home for at least seven days after they develop symptoms.
Federal and county public health officials continue to recommend that any students, faculty or staff that arrives to school with influenza symptoms be sent home. Students who are sick should stay home and not be sent to alternative day care or any extracurricular school activities.
Schools are also recommended to:
• Help serve as a focus for educational activities aimed at promoting ways to reduce the spread of influenza, including hand hygiene and cough etiquette.
• Students, faculty and staff should stringently follow sanitary measures to reduce the spread of influenza, including covering their nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing (or coughing or sneezing into their sleeve if a tissue isn’t available), frequently washing hands with soap and water, or using hand sanitizer if hand washing with soap and water is not possible.
Information is updated as available on the county’s swine flu Web page at http://news.co.riverside.ca.us/swineflu/. Additional information is available on the CDC site at www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/. Residents with further questions can call the state’s public health hotline at (888) 865-0564. Any calls to the county’s swine flu hotline will be directed to the state information center.
For information contact:
Rick Peoples,
Public Information Officer
Telephone: (951) 826-6642
Fax: (951) 826-6199
rpeoples@rcoe.us
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