Bay Area schools taking coronavirus precautions

TAMPA, Fla. - School districts in the Tampa Bay area are taking measures to protect students after health officials confirmed two coronavirus cases in Manatee and Hillsborough counties.

Officials in Hillsborough County say they will be installing hand sanitizer stations outside all of its schools and on school buses. They are also emphasizing that students stay home when sick and cover their mouths when they cough or sneeze.

On Monday, hand sanitizer stations were installed at Gorrie Elementary School. The district also said its working to clean and disinfect surfaces in its schools as well. 

“Every school in the district will be getting hand sanitizers,” said Marjorie Sandler, principal at Gorie Elementary. “They’ve been ordered and they should be arriving. They should be getting them soon for every child in the district.”

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In Manatee County, school district officials said they are ordering hand sanitizers, as well as cleaning and disinfecting in schools. 

Sarasota Military Academy is on heightened alert after a student there went on voluntary quarantine. The student’s mom works at the hospital where a man is being treated for coronavirus. He had not recently traveled out of the country, so it’s unknown how he contacted the illness. 

Both the nurse and the son are now under self-isolation.

The coronavirus can spread from person-to-person, typically from sneezing or coughing. It can also live on surfaces and infect others who touch the surface, then touch their mouth, nose or eyes without washing their hands.