Update #6: Community Health Advisory (March 14)

Based upon recent communication from the Governor’s office, State Public Health Officials, and the CDC, school closure when there are no confirmed student or staff cases of coronavirus is not recommended at this time

March 14, 2020
Communication Health Advisory

Based upon recent communication from the Governor’s office, State Public Health Officials, and the CDC, school closure when there are no confirmed student or staff cases of coronavirus is not recommended at this time. This is based on national CDC research which states:

“Available modeling data indicate that early, short to medium closures do not impact the epi curve of COVID-19 or available health care measures (e.g., hospitalizations). There may be some impact of much longer closures (8 weeks, 20 weeks) further into community spread, but that modeling also shows that other mitigation efforts (e.g., handwashing, home isolation) have more impact on both spread of disease and health care measures. In other countries, those places who closed school (e.g., Hong Kong) have not had more success in reducing spread than those that did not (e.g., Singapore).”

The CDC has released a robust set of recommendations for schools. (You may view the document (PDF here.)

Also, Buncombe County Health and Human Services (BCHHS) today provided clear guidelines for those who are at a higher risk of contracting coronavirus:

“We understand that you may have concerns about your children and COVID-19. While there are no known cases of COVID-19 in Buncombe County as of noon on March 13, it is important that we as a community continue to work together and focus on facts about the infection and efforts to prepare now for its eventual arrival.

Updated recommendations from North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NC DHHS) issued on March 12 are based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), current actions by other states, and the most up-to-date scientific information available about COVID-19. Many of the recommendations are focused on protecting people at high risk of severe illness:
• Adults over 65 years of age
• People with underlying health conditions including heart disease, lung disease, or diabetes
• People with weakened immune systems

This evolving situation is being monitored intensely at the highest levels of school, city, and county administration.

Some children and staff may fall into one of the high-risk groups listed above. Public Health advises that those individuals or their parents/guardians consult with their healthcare provider to develop individual action plans with their school to decrease risk.”

Please read the full BCHHS statement.

CDC School Decision Tree

DISTRICT

Elementary

Intermediate

Middle

High

Other

Buncombe County Schools