An area superintendent of schools has given an update on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis.
Marshall Public Schools’ Superintendent Dr. Carol Maher says she has met with the several individuals and groups who are working very hard to provide a safe and healthy environment for the district’s students and staff. In the district, these are the measures taken, in addition to the ones Dr. Maher communicated earlier:
· Opaa!, the district’s food-service company, is making several changes (to reduce points of contact) which will be in place on the morning of Monday, March 16. 1) All bars usually set up separate from the serving line(s) will be brought back into the interior serving area. 2) Salads will be visible and available on the serving line. 3) Condiments will be provided either at the serving line or in packets. 4) Teachers will have salads available, if desired.
· As of today (Saturday, March 14), all school schedules, activities and events are planned to continue as scheduled.
· Rosie Hammer, Sam Gibson and Grace Durham will continue to meet with the local health department. A more wide-ranging meeting with MPS administration, the health department, city officials, Fitzgibbon Hospital and others will be planned as soon as feasible.
· The MPS administrative team is meeting at 7 a.m. Monday, and an update will be provided after that meeting.
Here are updates at the state level:
· Governor Parson has declared a state of emergency in Missouri but also stressed that school closures were, at this time, a local decision to be made by school board and administration.
· The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services announced Saturday morning that the fourth case of COVID-19 was confirmed in Clinton in Henry County.·
· The other new case the governor announced Friday was from a patient in St. Louis County. That patient tested presumptive positive. There is also a presumptive-positive case in Greene County and a confirmed positive case in St. Louis County, which means the patient’s test results have been confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
· An update from the Missouri State High School Activities Association says: No changes to the Spring Activity/Sports Season at this Time: The MSHSAA staff and Board of Directors have not made any alterations to the spring sports or activities season at this point in time. We encourage each school to make the best decision for their school and community regarding the regular season. Please continue to monitor the MSHSAA website for further updates and information.
Dr. Maher urges patrons to continue to follow official updates from the MPS administration. She says at a time like this, rumors run rampant so it is important to keep lines of communication open with accurate and frequent updates. The Central Office Administrators plan to keep the district and community informed of all local and state plans and decisions.
Dr. Maher wants to thank the many people behind the scenes who are working tirelessly to continue to serve Marshall kids and families. MPS will keep its school “city” as safe and healthy as possible, maintaining vital services it provides to its students. As information becomes available, Dr. Maher says she will provide updates as quickly and accurately as possible.