BCS Community,
We understand the concern from our families and community around the COVID-19 or coronavirus. Bartlett City Schools (BCS) is adhering to the guidance from the Shelby County Health Department, the Tennessee Department of Health, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Administrators at Bartlett City Schools are keeping a close watch on the guidance from our local, state, and national experts on this issue. Since this is a developing situation, the CDC and other health authorities from around our region are closely monitoring the 2019-nCoV outbreak and are implementing measures to prevent the spread of the virus.
Bartlett City Schools is continuing to work with our Coordinated School Health department, school nurses, and cleaning crews to ensure the proper protocols are taking place at each of our schools and around our school district. We will continue to collaborate with local and state health organizations and will update our emergency operations plans, as needed, in the event of a pandemic. We are asking our students and families to follow the recommended guidelines from our local health department:
- Stay home when you are sick. If possible, stay home from work, school, and errands when you are sick. You will help prevent others from catching your illness. Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth. Germs spread this way.
- Cover coughs and sneezes. Use a tissue to cover coughs and sneezes, then dispose of the tissue. When a tissue is not available, cough or sneeze into your elbow.
- Clean and disinfect surfaces or objects. Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces at home, work or school, especially when someone is ill.
- Wash hands for 20 seconds. Washing hands often under clean, running water can help prevent the spread of germs. For more guidance see the CDC: When and How to Wash Your Hands guidelines (https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/when-how-handwashing.html). If you cannot wash your hands, use alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60-95% alcohol.
Our goal is to keep students, employees, and the community safe. Please remember that any locally confirmed cases will be immediately reported by healthcare officials and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will respond accordingly. Absolutely no one who is diagnosed with novel coronavirus will be allowed to return to school or work until they are cleared by healthcare officials. In the event of a confirmed, local outbreak of the novel coronavirus, Bartlett City Schools will cooperate fully with the proper local and state health authorities and, in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, communicate our emergency response plan to students, families, and the community.
For additional information, visit the Coordinated School Health page on our website by clicking here.