The Healdsburg School cancels classes amid confirmed coronavirus contact

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A small private school in Healdsburg closed Monday as a precaution against coronavirus, the only Sonoma County institution to take that step as local education officials hasten to prepare for a potential outbreak of the infectious disease.

The Healdsburg School canceled classes because a person involved in taking care of one of the two confirmed coronavirus patients being treated in isolation at Sonoma County hospitals recently attended an evening event at the school, said Dr. Celeste Philip, the county’s health officer.

Andy Davies, the top administrator, said after talking to county health officials the decision was made to resume classes Tuesday.

“No one in our (school) community has it (coronavirus). That’s important to state,” Davies said in an interview. “We took a very cautious step because the health and wellness of the community is our first priority.”

Teachers and staff were at the school Monday, sending lessons to students to ensure teaching and learning continued, Davies said.

Leaders of the Healdsburg school learned late Sunday night about the apparent contact between a person or persons in the school community and a person caring for one of the two people hospitalized locally for coronavirus, which has infected more than 90,000 people worldwide and killed more than 3,000. There have been six deaths in the U.S. from the virus and at least 100 confirmed cases nationwide, as of Monday night.

After Healdsburg school administrators on Sunday tried to reach county health officials for advice on how to proceed, they made a last-minute decision to cancel classes Monday because there was no response from county officials, Davies said.

County health officials did not respond Monday to inquiries from the Press Democrat about why the school, which has kindergarten through eighth grade classes, with about 200 students was left in the lurch on Sunday.

Ian Marquis, a parent of a Healdsburg School first grader, said the effect of the one-day closure was minimal on his family even though he and his wife work during the day. He was supportive of the school administration’s decision.

“Taking the proper precautions is important, and having a school that puts your children first does a lot to put one at ease,” Marquis said in an email.

All of the county’s public schools were open as usual Monday and there were no plans to cancel classes.

Santa Rosa City Schools Superintendent Diann Kitamura said district officials are monitoring students and staff daily for any signs of the illness and communicating regularly with county emergency management officials.

Extra sanitary measures are also being taken to disinfect surfaces in the schools students frequently come in contact with, Kitamura said.

Sonoma County Office of Education has been working on an infectious disease plan for county public school districts that will include the protocols for closing a school, how to assess sick students and how to communicate with the public, spokeswoman Jamie Hansen said.

“That’s being reviewed by the county health department and we’re hoping to get that out to schools in the next day or two,” Hansen said.

Healdsburg Unified School District Superintendent Chris Vanden Heuvel said he was concerned when he heard Sunday night about a Healdsburg resident coming into contact with a coronavirus patient. He was assured by county education officials that the city’s public schools were safe to open Monday, he said.

“As of right now, we don’t have any reason to believe there are issues in our schools,” Vanden Heuvel said. “They are open and will remain so until we hear otherwise” from county health officials.

County education office leaders also are exploring options for “distance learning” from home, and how the county could support area schools should an outbreak occur and campuses have to undergo a prolonged closure.

“It’s tricky with 40 school districts with different technical infrastructure,” Hansen said. “Right now we’re advising districts to audit what they have that’s viable as far as laptops, wireless for students, and assessing the possibility for each student.”

Staff Writer Martin Espinoza contributed to this story. You can reach Staff Writer Yousef Baig at 707-521-5390 or yousef.baig@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @YousefBaig.