The Corona Virus is causing quite the uproar as it spreads across the globe. People are stocking up on nonperishables and sanitizers in hopes of protecting their families. In other countries, they have already closed schools and even encouraged their employees to work from home. New York has joined in that sentiment, as a boarding school has closed for the rest of the year in fear of the virus, and they haven’t even contracted a case yet.
“A Westchester County boarding school with no confirmed cases of the coronavirus will close for the rest of the school year amid fears over the deadly bug, a new report says.
The Keio Academy of New York, which has ties to a Japanese university, announced that it will close its campus in Purchase to protect its international student body from the virus that has spread to at least 82 people in Westchester, the Rockland/Westchester Journal News reported.
“After consideration of all the medical facts and advice, the Board of Trustees has decided that it must act now in the interests of our students’ safety and wellbeing,” Rieko Ivy, director of development at the school, said in a statement.”
“Students will continue their studies online for the rest of the year, which runs through the end of May. All athletics programs for the spring semester have been canceled.
Three Jewish day schools in Westchester County have closed temporarily after being tied to an outbreak, although there is only one confirmed case in any of those schools right now.
As of Monday, the state of New York had 142 confirmed cases of coronavirus. Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) declared a state of emergency over the weekend.
A number of other schools around the state have closed temporarily this week, including some public schools and private universities like Columbia, Hofstra, and Yeshiva.”
This could be a case of better safe than sorry since once one student gets it, he/she could spread it to the rest of the student body unintentionally. So they may be a bit premature with their actions but at least they are helping to prevent the spreading of the virus.
Trying to prevent the spread of the virus, though healthy young people do not die, but those with underlying health problems (asthma, diabetes, etc) are at increased risk. Better to protect all students and staff as much as possible until this Communist Chinese bio-weaponized virus is cured.
Everyone be wise out there!
I’ll bet dollars to donuts that there’ll be no change of the individual students spring break regardless of what back flips the government schools do. If they’ll risk hangovers as an underage drinker, the corona virus won’t figure in even slightly.