UPDATE 3/17/20: On Tuesday, one more person tested positive for the virus, bringing the total number of cases in SD to 11, 5 of them in Minnehaha County. At the same time, Principal Teresa Hulscher released a letter outlining the expectations for the Elementary Students. Packets will be available for pick up at the Main Office from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Read the letter from Mrs. Hulscher below.
UPDATE 3:30 PM CST: At her afternoon press conference, Governor Kristi Noem called for schools to be closed for at least one more week in order to ramp up testing and to follow social distancing protocols.
UPDATE 3/16/20: On Monday, March 16, one more person in Minnehaha County tested positive for the virus. At the same time, the Garretson High School/Middle School Principal, Chris Long, released a letter to parents and students outlining expectations for the upcoming changes to learning for the foreseeable future.
While schools are currently only mandated to be closed in SD for one week, with the CDC revising its guidelines down to 50 people or less for a gathering (which did not apply to schools, businesses, or universities), it is expected that it may be a while before school sessions reconvene. Many schools are switching to distance-learning and e-learning to continue to serve their students, and Garretson is following that lead.
With the update as of March 10 that five people in South Dakota had confirmed diagnoses of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, and one death, as well as the news as of March 11 that West Central School District had been closed for deep cleaning to help prevent the spread of this novel virus, the Garretson School District released a letter addressing prevention measures.
The letter states, "The Garretson School District is aware of the Coronavirus and its continuous spread both nationally and internationally. We can assure you, as a District, we are taking all the steps necessary to be as prepared as possible in the event the disease spreads into our community."
"Novel virus" means that this version of the coronavirus has not been seen among the general population before, which means that immunity is low and the potential for virulent spread is high. The likelihood that healthcare systems get overwhelmed is also high, meaning that ethical calls such as who receives ventilators, will have to be made. Mortality appears to be highest for those aged 65+ and those with underlying medical issues, especially those with compromised immune systems and those with lung issues. COVID-19 affects respiratory systems most of all, causing shortness of breath, coughing, and pneumonia-like symptoms.
The CDC states, "Reported illnesses have ranged from mild symptoms to severe illness and death for confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases. The following symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure.*
- Fever
- Cough
- Shortness of breath"
At press time, the country of Italy had shut down most travel and had banned group gatherings, over 80 colleges and universities in the US were closing all in-person learning opportunities within the next week, and major events, such as South-by-Southwest (a major technology conference) and Coachella were being canceled. Nursing homes were also contemplating curtailing visitors, though no information has yet been received by the Gazette about visitors to Palisades Nursing Home.
The best way to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is handwashing, and if you are feeling ill, to stay home. Those who have been exposed knowingly to COVID-19 may have to quarantine for up to two weeks, so some preparation is key. As some panic has occurred, grocery stores are finding it difficult to keep some essentials such as toilet paper in stock, so it is important to keep from over-buying. Purchase only what is needed for two weeks.
Expect more disturbances to public life as the virus moves through the area, such as cancelations of large events. However, with level-headed thinking and preparation, most people will likely move through this without issue. But keeping community-protection in mind, protecting our most vulnerable, has to stay at the forefront.
The District Letter in Full:
UPDATE 3/13/20 5:15 PM: Official word from the Garretson School District has been received. They will be closed next week and will update as new information comes available. (Full letter posted below.)
UPDATE 3/13/20; 1/15 PM: At an 11:45 am press conference on 3/13/20, Governor Kristi Noem signed an emergency order and asked all schools across the state of South Dakota to close starting next week. No official decisions have been made by the Garretson School District at this time, but plans are in development. The Gazette will update you on the situation as soon as official word is received.
UPDATE 3/12/20: An updated letter was sent out by the school district on Thursday, updating community members regarding the school's plan to reduce the spread of the virus.
Supt. Guy Johnson wrote, "We will continue to adjust our planning based on the best information that becomes available and will communicate those adjustment with you as we are able to. As we have stated before, the situation is changing rapidly, and we will work with the best information we have from the CDC, the SD DOH, and a variety of other experts from the medical field to keep our students and staff as healthy and safe as we are able to."
See the letter in full below:
Letter from the district as of 3/13/20
Letter from Garretson High School/Middle School Principal Chris Long:
Letter from Elementary Principal Teresa Hulscher:
For the most current information in the State of SD, please visit https://doh.sd.gov/news/Coronavirus.aspx
