• About
    • About Us
    • What We Cover
  • Advertise
    • Advertise
    • Our Advertisers
  • Contact
  • Donate
  • Send News

Oak Ridge Today

  • Home
  • Sign in
  • News
    • Business
    • Community
    • Education
    • Government
    • Health
    • Police and Fire
    • U.S. Department of Energy
    • Weather
  • Sports
    • High School
    • Middle School
    • Recreation
    • Rowing
    • Youth
  • Entertainment
    • Arts
    • Dancing
    • Movies
    • Music
    • Television
    • Theater
  • Premium Content
  • Obituaries
  • Classifieds

Current risk of coronavirus is low, but schools, health dept. provide info

Posted at 6:39 pm February 28, 2020
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The immediate risk of the coronavirus in the United States is believed to be low, but Oak Ridge Schools, Anderson County Schools, and the Anderson County Health Department are providing information to help respond to the emerging public health threat.

“Oak Ridge Schools is committed to keeping our students and staff safe and are currently working to determine the appropriate steps to address the potential coronavirus outbreak,” the school system said in a message sent to staff members on Friday afternoon. “We are communicating with the Anderson County Health Department to attain the latest information and recommendations from federal, state, and local authorities.”

Oak Ridge Schools said it will use that information to create a plan to keep students and staff safe.

“Staff, students, and parents will receive information regarding a coronavirus plan should the implementation of such action become necessary,” the message said.

The school system said it will communicate with students, staff, and parents about the importance of consistently practicing these recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):

  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
  • Stay home when you are sick.
  • Cover your cough and sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
  • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom, before eating, and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
  • If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol.
  • Always wash with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.

The message to staff on Friday said the Oak Ridge Schools Maintenance and Operations Department will continue to work diligently to provide healthy and safe environments.

“Our staff will continue to utilize some of the newest technologies with proven EPA-registered disinfectants in their efforts to minimize any illness outbreaks within our system,” the message said. The EPA is the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

For additional information and recommendations, you can visit www.cdc.gov and www.tennessee.gov/health.

The Anderson County Health Department sent information to Oak Ridge Schools about the use of face masks. People report not being able to find masks at stores and suppliers across the region.

What You Can Do 

While the immediate risk of this new virus to Tennesseans is believed to be low at this time, everyone can do their part to help respond to this emerging public health threat.

Use of facemasks in the U.S. 

At this time, CDC does not recommend the use of face masks or respirators among the general public. While limited person-to-person spread of 2019- nCoV among close contacts has been detected, this virus is not currently spreading in the community in the United States.

In the United States, person-to-person spread has been seen only among people in close and prolonged contact with someone who has become infected with COVID-19 in China.

If you are not sick:

  • Members of the general public in the United States DO NOT need to use face masks. CDC does NOT recommend that people who are well wear a face mask to protect themselves from respiratory viruses, including COVID-19.
  • Masks should be reserved for people who are sick, so they can protect others from getting infected.

If you are sick: (i.e., people with confirmed or possible COVID-19 infection, including patients under investigation who do not need to be hospitalized, and people with confirmed COVID-19 infection who were hospitalized and determined to be medically stable to go home):

  • You should wear a face mask when you are around other people (e.g., sharing a room or vehicle) and before you enter a healthcare provider’s office. This will help protect the people around from getting infected. 
  • If you are not able to wear a face mask (for example, because it causes trouble breathing), then people who are in the same room with you should wear a face mask, but they should also limit the amount of time they spend in the same room with you.

If worn properly, a face mask helps block the spread of respiratory viruses by the wearer from spreading to other people and surfaces.

People with increased risk of exposure to COVID-19, for example household contacts and caregivers of people with known or suspected COVID-19, should wear a facemask if the patient is not able to wear a face mask (for example, due to difficulty breathing while wearing a face mask).

Face masks should be used once and then thrown away in the trash.

Anderson County Schools said it is communicating with local, state, and federal about potential plans of action if a case of COVID-19 is found in Anderson County or a surrounding county. It offered similar recommendations as Oak Ridge Schools, such as advising people to wash their hands with warm soap and water, avoiding close contact with people who are sick, staying home when you are sick, and cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces.

“Our maintenance and custodial staffs are working very diligently to make sure our buildings are as sanitized as possible,” Anderson County Schools said in a message to parents, students, teachers, and staff members on Friday. “They (the maintenance and custodial staffs) are as well following the same procedures as they do during cold and flu season.”

The safety and health of students are the top priorities, the school district said.

“We want to ensure you that we are doing as much as possible now to prepare for a case of COVID-19,” the district said. “We are currently in talks with and/or have scheduled meetings with state and local health organizations so that we have the most up-to-date information about the illness.”

More information can be found at the CDC website at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/faq.html.

Filed Under: Anderson County, Education, Front Page News, Government, Health, K-12, Top Stories Tagged With: Anderson County Health Department, Anderson County Schools, CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, coronavirus, COVID-19, face masks, Oak Ridge Schools

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More Education News

Roane State celebrates construction milestone for new health science campus in west Knoxville 

Submitted Roane State Community College and its nonprofit Foundation hosted a ceremony on July 2, 2024, commemorating a major milestone in the construction of the college’s new Knox Regional Health Science Education … [Read More...]

UCOR awards $45,000 in STEM education mini-grants

Submitted Drones, a manufacturing simulator lab, and hands on meteorology are among the classroom projects that United Cleanup Oak Ridge (UCOR) will fund through its 2024 mini-grants. UCOR awarded $45,000 in … [Read More...]

ORHS graduation could be rescheduled, moved depending upon weather

Rain and thunderstorms are possible Friday and Saturday, and the Oak Ridge High School graduation could be rescheduled or moved depending upon the weather. Oak Ridge Schools announced the plan on Tuesday. ORHS … [Read More...]

School staff not allowed to carry guns

Oak Ridge Schools will not allow teachers and other staff members to carry guns in buildings, Superintendent Bruce Borchers said Wednesday. Borchers made the announcement in a notice sent to school families. His … [Read More...]

Bruce Borchers

Borchers to discuss schools on Tuesday

Oak Ridge Schools Superintendent Bruce Borchers will discuss the state of the schools during a lunchtime meeting on Tuesday. The presentation will be hosted by the League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge. The Lunch with … [Read More...]

More Education

More Government News

Election is Thursday

The Anderson County general election and state and federal primary elections are Thursday. Competitive races include the Democratic and Republican primaries for U.S. Senate, Republican primary for Tennessee House of … [Read More...]

Kairos Power begins construction on demonstration reactor​

Kairos Power has started construction on a test nuclear reactor in west Oak Ridge. The Hermes Low-Power Demonstration Reactor is the first of its type to be approved for construction by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory … [Read More...]

County law director dies at 65

Anderson County Law Director Nicholas “Jay” Yeager, of Clinton, died Friday. He was 65. Yeager was assistant attorney in Anderson County from 2001 to 2006, and he has been law director since then. "Mr. Yeager was … [Read More...]

Outdoor Pool to close for season Aug. 12

Indoor Pool to re-open Monday The Oak Ridge Outdoor Pool will closed for the season on Monday, August 12, and the Indoor Pool will re-open Monday, July 29, after being closed for a few months for renovations. The … [Read More...]

Tennis court dances recreate wartime event

Monthly dances by the Manhattan Project National Historical Park recreate the open-air tennis court dances that entertained 75,000 workers and their families in the Secret City during World War II. "Put on your … [Read More...]

More Government

Recent Posts

  • Flatwater Tales Storytelling Festival Announces 2025 Storytellers
  • Laser-Engraved Bricks Will Line Walkway of New Chamber Headquarters
  • Democratic Women’s Club to Discuss Climate Change, Energy and Policy
  • Estate Jewelry Show at Karen’s Jewelers Features Celebrity Jewelry
  • Keri Cagle named new ORAU senior vice president and ORISE director
  • ORAU Annual Giving Campaign exceeds $100,000 goal+ORAU Annual Giving Campaign exceeds $100,000 goal More than $1 million raised in past 10 years benefits United Way and Community Shares Oak Ridge, Tenn. —ORAU exceeded its goal of raising $100,000 in donations as part of its internal annual giving campaign that benefits the United Way and Community Shares nonprofit organizations. ORAU has raised more than $1 million over the past 10 years through this campaign. A total of $126,839 was pledged during the 2024 ORAU Annual Giving Campaign. Employees donate via payroll deduction and could earmark their donation for United Way, Community Shares or both. “ORAU has remained a strong pillar in the community for more than 75 years, and we encourage our employees to consider participating in our annual giving campaign each year to help our less fortunate neighbors in need,” said ORAU President and CEO Andy Page. “Each one of our employees has the power to positively impact the lives of those who need help in the communities where we do business across the country and demonstrate the ORAU way – taking care of each other.” ORAU, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, provides science, health and workforce solutions that address national priorities and serve the public interest. Through our specialized teams of experts and access to a consortium of more than 150 major Ph.D.-granting institutions, ORAU works with federal, state, local and commercial customers to provide innovative scientific and technical solutions and help advance their missions. ORAU manages the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Learn more about ORAU at www.orau.org. Learn more about ORAU at www.orau.org. Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OakRidgeAssociatedUniversities Follow us on X (formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/orau Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/orau ###
  • Children’s Museum Gala Celebrates the Rainforest
  • Jim Sears joins ORAU as senior vice president
  • Oak Ridge Housing Authority Receives Funding Assistance of up to $51.8 Million For Renovating Public Housing and Building New Workforce Housing
  • Two fires reported early Friday

Search Oak Ridge Today

Copyright © 2025 Oak Ridge Today