As a follow-up to the public school statement issued in Musings last Friday regarding the coronavirus, the following communication from Andrea Oquist, Superintendent and Jennifer Talariol, Director of Student Service, to Livonia public schools staff and families is being shared with our readers to keep our hometown community current by Andrea Oquist, Superintendent and Jennifer Taiariol, Director of Student Service:

We know the well being of your child and family is of great importance to you, as it is to us.  Over the past few days, there has been increased focus on the coronavirus, a respiratory illness that can spread from person to person, and the potential impact on schools. We have prepared this communication for you, in hopes it will answer some of the questions that you may have.  

 

Governor Gretchen Whitmer has activated the State Emergency Operation Center to coordinate with federal, state, and local agencies to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.  While there have been no reported cases in Wayne County or in Michigan, Livonia Public Schools is in communication with the City of Livonia and tracking communication from the state and county health departments.  The City of Livonia's Department of Emergency Preparedness is working closely with local and state health agencies along with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) regarding the coronavirus.   We will continue to follow direction from the agencies stated above, in order to assist the families and staff we serve.

 

Within Livonia Public Schools, our district maintenance and operations department has a very specific cleaning protocol that trained staff utilize for infectious diseases.  This cleaning protocol has been in place for many years. Additionally, last fall in a proactive effort to combat the spread of the flu and other viruses, we purchased specialized sanitation machines that  provide hospital grade disinfection for our schools.

 

In regard to our Livonia families who have recently traveled or will travel to countries with large coronavirus outbreaks, protocols have been established by the Center for Disease Control for citizens returning to the United States which should be followed.  

 

To provide you with accurate information, we are sharing the following resource from Michigan Department of Health and Human Services ( https://tinyurl.com/whtm2cs ) .  MDHHS indicates there are no specific precautions beyond those encouraged to prevent spread of the flu or common cold, which include: washing hands or utilizing alcohol-based hand sanitizer, covering your mouth and nose when coughing/sneezing and staying home if you are sick, along with contacting your health care provider.  

 

While we are not experts in this area, we are partners with you and our community in keeping our children and staff as healthy as they can be.  Together we will stay informed and involved. If you have any questions or concerns please contact Dr. Jennifer Taiariol at 734-744-2524 or jtaiariol@livoniapublicschools.org