April 30, 2009
Three Elementary Schools Close Due To Suspected Swine Flu Cases
The El Centro Elementary School District has announced that three elementary school will be closed from May 1 to May 7 due to what the district and the county Department of Public Health are calling a “strongly suspected case of swine flu.”
"We support the recommendation of the Public Health Officer and we are exercising this caution to minimize contact between students and contain the spread of the H1N1(Swine Flu). Please keep your children at home if at all possible during this dismissal period." - Statement on El Centro Elementary School Web siteThe three schools are Sunflower Elementary School, McKinley Elementary School, and Washington Elementary School.
Maria Peinado, the Public Health Information officer for the Imperial County Department of Public Health, confirmed late Thursday evening that at least one person at each school is suspected of having the disease. It's not yet know how many people at each separate campus may be infected, or whether the patients are students, teachers or staff. The district is waiting on lab tests to confirm the presence of the disease.
According to a letter posted on the district's Web site, the schools are being closed at the suggestion of the Imperial County Department of Public Health.
The following statement appears on the home page of the district's Web site: “The Imperial County Health Department has determined that at least one strongly suspected case of swine flu exists at McKinley, Washington and Sunflower Elementary schools”
To access the El Centro Elementary School District Web site, click HERE.
The district is projecting that the schools will reopen on Friday, May 8.
“We are very much concerned for the welfare of your children and for public health,” states the letter on the home page of the district's Web site. “As a consequence, we support the recommendation of the Public Health Officer and we are exercising this caution to minimize contact between students and contain the spread of the H1N1(Swine Flu). Please keep your children at home if at all possible during this dismissal period.It is our intention to keep you fully informed by all means possible, and you will be receiving further information.”
If parents have specific questions for the schools, they can call the schools directly. The phone numbers are :
McKinley Elementary School 760-352-3225
Washington Elementary School 760-352-6611
Sunflower Elementary School 760-337-4890
The telephone number for the El Centro Elementary School District is 760-352-5712. Parents will also be able to get answers to questions at the district office.
Members from the public who have questions related to swine influenza can call the Imperial County Department of Public Health at 760-482-4968.For the latest information on the swine flu investigation, and a list of swine flu symptoms from the Center for Disease Control, Click HERE
Health officials say if an individual is exhibiting symptoms of the disease, they should take the following precautions:
- Stay at home to avoid spreading the disease.
- Cover the mouth and nose when sneezing, and safely dispose of used tissues.
- Wash hand thoroughly and often with soap and warm water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Get rest, eat a balanced diet, and make sure to drink an adequate amount of water.
Members from the public who have questions related to swine influenza can call the Imperial County Department of Public Health at 760-482-4968.
To view the Imperial County Department of Public Health Web site, Click HERE
"We support the recommendation of the Public Health Officer and we are exercising this caution to minimize contact between students and contain the spread of the H1N1(Swine Flu). Please keep your children at home if at all possible during this dismissal period." - Statement on El Centro Elementary School Web siteThe three schools are Sunflower Elementary School, McKinley Elementary School, and Washington Elementary School.
Maria Peinado, the Public Health Information officer for the Imperial County Department of Public Health, confirmed late Thursday evening that at least one person at each school is suspected of having the disease. It's not yet know how many people at each separate campus may be infected, or whether the patients are students, teachers or staff. The district is waiting on lab tests to confirm the presence of the disease.
According to a letter posted on the district's Web site, the schools are being closed at the suggestion of the Imperial County Department of Public Health.
The following statement appears on the home page of the district's Web site: “The Imperial County Health Department has determined that at least one strongly suspected case of swine flu exists at McKinley, Washington and Sunflower Elementary schools”
To access the El Centro Elementary School District Web site, click HERE.
The district is projecting that the schools will reopen on Friday, May 8.
“We are very much concerned for the welfare of your children and for public health,” states the letter on the home page of the district's Web site. “As a consequence, we support the recommendation of the Public Health Officer and we are exercising this caution to minimize contact between students and contain the spread of the H1N1(Swine Flu). Please keep your children at home if at all possible during this dismissal period.It is our intention to keep you fully informed by all means possible, and you will be receiving further information.”
If parents have specific questions for the schools, they can call the schools directly. The phone numbers are :
McKinley Elementary School 760-352-3225
Washington Elementary School 760-352-6611
Sunflower Elementary School 760-337-4890
The telephone number for the El Centro Elementary School District is 760-352-5712. Parents will also be able to get answers to questions at the district office.
Members from the public who have questions related to swine influenza can call the Imperial County Department of Public Health at 760-482-4968.For the latest information on the swine flu investigation, and a list of swine flu symptoms from the Center for Disease Control, Click HERE
Health officials say if an individual is exhibiting symptoms of the disease, they should take the following precautions:
- Stay at home to avoid spreading the disease.
- Cover the mouth and nose when sneezing, and safely dispose of used tissues.
- Wash hand thoroughly and often with soap and warm water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Get rest, eat a balanced diet, and make sure to drink an adequate amount of water.
Members from the public who have questions related to swine influenza can call the Imperial County Department of Public Health at 760-482-4968.
To view the Imperial County Department of Public Health Web site, Click HERE