COVID-19 (2020-2021)

Tonight, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds announced that she is recommending that all Iowa schools close for four weeks to assist in reducing the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).

The district learned of this unprecedented move as the general public did, and we realize that you are likely to have questions. We share in many of those same questions and expect more details to be available tomorrow and over the next number of days.

Schools in the district will remain closed until April 13. Knowing that this decision was a possibility, our leadership team has been working diligently to prepare. We are finalizing our plans for this closure, which for the district begins impacting us next week following spring break. Throughout this situation, we will work hard to provide you with the most accurate, up-to-date information possible.

While we have few details tonight about the implications of this closure, in these challenging times we can tell you that we will remain committed to serving our students, families and staff to the best of our ability.

As a reminder, we will plan to send an update to families and staff each day this week at 3 p.m. (at a minimum) and will post the most up-to-date information on our website at www.dbqschools.org/coronavirus.

Thank you for your continued support.

The district’s executive team continues to meet daily to monitor and discuss the latest developments in the coronavirus situation across the nation and will continue to do so during spring break. We continue to be in regular communication with the Iowa Department of Public Health and the Dubuque County Health Department and at time of this update, there are currently no confirmed cases of coronavirus in Dubuque County.

There are a few updates to share today, Friday, March 13:

• The Hempstead High School music program trip to Florida has officially been cancelled in conjunction with the closing of Walt Disney World.
• With a large number of events in flux throughout the community, the district is suspending the weekly Digital Backpack email at this time. Questions about events posted on the backpack should be directed to the hosting organization.

The next update from the district is scheduled for Monday, March 16, at approximately 3 p.m. Should there be important developments prior to that time, we will share them as soon as possible.

As a district, we continue to work with state, county and local officials to monitor the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) in our state. Our executive leadership team is meeting daily at a minimum (including during spring break) to monitor the situation and is receiving numerous updates throughout the day.

As this constantly evolving situation continues to unfold, we will share regular updates with families and staff. Starting tomorrow, we plan to share daily updates with families at approximately 3 p.m. each weekday with the latest information we have. Additional time-sensitive updates will continue to be sent as needed regardless of the time or day. We have also established a page on our website (www.dbqschools.org/coronavirus) that will be a central point to find updates from the district.

At this time, there has been no decision to make adjustments to the school schedule. We will be closely monitoring the situation over the next number of days and any decision to modify school calendars would be made in conjunction with the Iowa Department of Public Health and the Dubuque County Health Department.

Here is the latest:

PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES

Beginning earlier this week and into the future, a number of additional precautionary measures have been or are being put in place across the district:

• • • We continue to reinforce with students the importance of preventive measures, in particular hand washing and covering coughs/sneezes with their sleeves.
    • We will indefinitely discontinue the practice of students serving themselves at meal time and will instead have all food plated by school staff.
    • We have placed additional hand sanitizer stations throughout our schools, particularly near the beginning of lunch lines. The sanitizer meets the alcohol content recommendations of the CDC.
    • We will add more frequent table cleanings between lunch shifts.
    • All buildings will discontinue the use of attendance incentives for students and instead focus on promoting that students and staff should remain home if they are ill.
    • We continue to sanitize commonly touched surfaces with hospital-grade disinfectant and will conduct a deep-clean of buildings over spring break.
    • We will review upcoming events scheduled in our facilities, both internal and external, in upcoming days to determine next steps.

SPRING BREAK TRAVEL

We realize that many families and staff have planned trips over spring break both domestically and internationally. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have identified travel advisories for high-risk areas. Please follow this growing list throughout spring break.

In next week’s updates, we will include the current list of travel advisories and at-risk areas. We expect that individuals traveling from these areas follow the public health guidelines for self-quarantine upon return.

TALKING TO STUDENTS ABOUT COVID-19

We realize that there is a non-stop flood of information regarding coronavirus and that it can leave both adults and particularly students feeling anxious and uncertain. The Child Mind Institute has developed a resource called Talking to Kids About Coronavirus recommended by the American School Counseling Association. The Iowa Department of Public Health has also shared a resource called Tips for Talking to Children about COVID-19. We invite you to use these resources as a guide to help support conversations with your students.

We encourage you to stay up-to-date on the latest coronavirus developments by using reliable sources of information, in particular the Iowa Department of Public Health Coronavirus Webpage and the CDC Coronavirus Webpage. Both provide the most current, factual information regarding coronavirus.

As you know, there has been increasing attention and media coverage regarding the coronavirus (specifically the COVID-19 strain of the virus). This new strain of coronavirus is believed to spread mainly via respiratory droplets produced when an infected person sneezes or coughs.

As a district, we are operating in a state of preparedness and are in regular communication with the Iowa Department of Public Health, as well as Dubuque County and City of Dubuque Health officials to be sure we are informed on the latest developments.

Moving forward we will continue to partner with and follow the guidance of these agencies. The most up-to-date state information about the coronavirus can be found on the Iowa Department of Public Health Coronavirus Webpage and on the Centers for Disease Control Coronavirus Webpage.

It is also important to note the following:

• The district uses hospital-grade disinfectants to disinfect commonly touched surfaces in all district buildings.
• As is always the case, the best preventative measures are those normally associated with minimizing the spread of common illnesses, including:
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. (Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.)
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
  • Stay home when you are sick.
  • Cover your mouth with your upper arm or tissue when coughing or sneezing.
• It is important for staff as well as students to stay home if they are ill, including any of the following symptoms:
  • Fever at or above 100* (*updated to 100, rather than 100.4, on March 13, 2020 per updated CDC guidelines)
  • Vomiting
  • Diarrhea
  • NOTE: Do not return to school or work until being free of any of these symptoms without the use of medication for 24 hours.

Again, at this time, we are working as a district to be proactive and preventative. We will provide additional information as it becomes available and appreciate your ongoing assistance in promoting good preventative measures in our schools.