FALL RIVER – Two Fall River Public Schools central office employees, both of whom attended a work-related conference in Las Vegas Feb. 24-29 and one of whom is experiencing flu-like symptoms, have been directed by Superintendent of Schools Matthew Malone to self-quarantine.

In a statement sent to parents and posted on the Fall River Public Schools' Facebook page, Malone said he closed the central office, 417 Rock St., at 3:30 p.m. on Monday so the custodial staff could use “deep disinfecting equipment to clean and sanitize” the entire building.

According to the memorandum, the unidentified employee experiencing flu-like systems returned from the conference and worked from March 2-4, started to experience symptoms on the evening of March 4, and remained home sick March 5, 6 and Monday.

“As a preventative response, I have directed both employees to self-quarantine in compliance with national and state standards and in compliance with the language in our employee collective bargaining agreements,” Malone wrote.

The statement added that the sick employee has not tested positive for the coronavirus, while the other employee is asymptomatic, experiencing no flu-like symptoms.

“I decided to self-direct the self-quarantine of both employees out of an abundance of caution,” Malone wrote.

He wrote that district offices and schools would be open on Tuesday.

According to Associated Press reports, the new coronavirus for most infected people causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.

The vast majority of people recover from the new virus. According to the World Health Organization, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover. In mainland China, where the virus first exploded, more than 80,000 people have been diagnosed and more than 58,000 have so far recovered.

The virus has infected 600 people in the United States, and at least 26 have died, most in Washington state.

The number of people in Massachusetts who have tested positive for the new coronavirus has jumped to 41 — up from the 28 reported Sunday, state public health officials said Monday.

Of the 41 confirmed or presumptive positive cases, 32 are associated with a Biogen employee meeting held in late February at a Boston hotel. The cases are either employees or close contacts of employees.

Rhode Island's governor declared a state of emergency Monday amid growing concern over the new coronavirus.

Gov. Gina Raimondo said the order allows the state to access additional resources even though the risk of contracting the virus in Rhode Island remains low.

Rhode Island health officials say the state still has just three presumed cases of the virus, which causes the disease COVID-19.

Lifespan, Rhode Island's largest hospital network, announced Monday it is immediately suspending patient visits at all of its hospitals.

No visitors will be allowed in the adult units at Rhode Island Hospital and The Miriam Hospital, both in Providence, the organization said.

At Hasbro Children’s Hospital in Providence and Bradley Hospital, an East Providence psychiatric hospital for youths, one parent will be allowed to accompany patients.

Women giving birth at Newport Hospital will only be allowed one birthing partner, and emergency room patients at all Lifespan hospitals will be limited to one accompanying adult, the organization said.

Email Greg Sullivan at gsullivan@heraldnews.com. Follow him @GregSullivanHN.