Dear Archbishop Carroll Community,
As of this message, there have been 22 presumptive positive cases of COVID-19 (coronavirus) reported in Pennsylvania, with one case in Delaware County, 13 cases in Montgomery County, and 1 in Philadelphia. The cases are referred to as “presumptive positive” since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) must affirm all cases.
Over the past several weeks, Archbishop Carroll has been closely following developments regarding the coronavirus (COVID-19). We are writing to update you regarding ongoing efforts and additional steps we are taking to prevent the spread of illness on our campus, and prepare for the possible spread of the coronavirus in the greater Philadelphia region. We want to assure you that while we believe this is a time to remain calm, we are making all decisions using guidance from health experts to ensure the wellbeing of our community, which is of the utmost importance to us.
Some school districts in our area are closing to conduct deep cleanings, based on potential COVID-19 exposures within their communities. Additionally, Governor Wolf has ordered the closure of all Montgomery County Schools for the next two weeks, to limit the spread of COVID-19.
Archbishop Carroll High School will remain open until further notice. School districts in Montgomery County will not be busing students to Archbishop Carroll, however, Sague Buses will be operating until we are otherwise notified. If you cannot attend school, information on how students can keep up with their school work remotely will be provided by Monday. As of now, the SAT scheduled for Saturday will still take place at Carroll and planned on campus weekend practices and rehearsals will continue as scheduled.
We are closely monitoring the situation, and we are taking the following steps to be as prepared as possible:
- A deep, extensive cleaning of the entire building will take place tomorrow, Friday, March 13, 2020. All students and staff members must exit the building by 4:30 pm on Friday so that the cleaning can take place. After school supervision will end at that time and no one is permitted in the building once the cleaning begins. Additionally, Archbishop Carroll will continue with thorough cleanings of our building each day.
- We have published our Pandemic Action Plan here. You can also view our Coronavirus and Public Health webpage. The plan has four levels of response: Monitoring; Limiting; Postponing; and Closing. We are currently at the Monitoring level. The decision to move to the next level will be made in coordination with our local and state health agencies.
- Individuals directly exposed to COVID-19 will be asked to self-quarantine. In each situation, medical professionals will be part of the discussion to help guide us. Individuals who have traveled recently to any countries identified by the CDC as Level 3 or 4 will be required to self-quarantine for 14 days. While self-quarantine is recommended for any direct exposure to or travel from specific countries, the CDC and state officials are not recommending testing, symptom monitoring, or special management for people exposed to asymptomatic people who have been potentially exposed to COVID-19. Which means “contacts of contacts” are not considered exposed.
- We will continue to reinforce good hygiene and encourage all Archbishop Carroll community members to share in this effort. In addition to the practices we have already shared and posted on our website, we will continue to emphasize with all our staff members and students the importance of properly washing hands.
If you have additional questions, please email
[email protected]
. We remain committed to ensuring the safety and wellness of our school community and greatly appreciate your support as we navigate this dynamic and serious situation.
Warm Regards,
