JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Duval County Public Schools said it is doing everything it can to prevent COVID-19 from spreading inside schools.
They are pleading with parents not to send students to school if they have any symptoms of illness, even if it might be related to allergies.
They said that will be the No. 1 way to prevent others from getting sick if a student does come down with coronavirus.
To check that students are well before they enter the building, students will have their temperatures checked and any student with a 100.4-degree fever or higher will be sent home.
Face masks and face shields are provided in every classroom and desk shields will be in most classes.
Throughout the day and night, cleaning crews will be going over high-touch areas.
The school district teamed up with a company called BIO Supplies that has already gone through the school and sprayed a protective coating on all high-touch surfaces.
“What this does, is it’s a long-term shield,” BIO Supplies director of operations James Bailey said. “So if they touch something and then they touch the desk or something else after the fact, it doesn’t allow you to cross-contaminate.”
There is also a plan in place if a student becomes ill.
“Every school has an identified room where students will be moved too until a parent can pick them up,” said DCPS spokesperson Dr. Tracy Pierce.
Pierce said the school also has contact cards for each student that should list who the back-up person is to pick a student up if the parent is not available.
Parents should ensure their child’s contact card has the most current information.