Neshaminy High School Closed Tuesday Due To COVID-19 Concern

Neshaminy High School will close Tuesday as a precaution after a student had direct contact with a Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) doctor who worked at a facility in King of Prussia, Montgomery County, and has tested positive for COVID-19.

As of Monday evening, the student and two family members have not tested positive for COVID-19, also known as the novel coronavirus, according to the school district and county health officials. They added the trio will be quarantined to their home.

“As a result of this information, we have decided to close Neshaminy High School tomorrow (Tuesday, March 10) to thoroughly clean potentially affected areas of the building. All afternoon and evening activities are also canceled Tuesday,” Superintendent Joseph Jones said in a letter to students, parents, and staff.

All other Neshaminy schools will be open Tuesday.

Last week, Neshaminy officials said they would enact deep cleaning measures to keep students and staff safe.

The school district said the bus the student took will be placed out of service and be disinfected.

According to Montgomery County officials, the doctor was a cardiologist for CHOP. The doctor’s exposure has already impact schools in Lower Merion, Cheltenham, and Hatboro-Horsham in Montgomery County.

The county put out information about preventive steps:

• Frequent hand-washing with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds

• Avoiding close contact (within six feet) with people who are sick

• Avoiding touching one’s eyes, nose and mouth

• Staying home when sick

• Covering one’s coughs or sneezes with a tissue and throwing the tissue in the trash

• Cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces with household cleaning sprays or wipes

Wearing face masks during one’s daily routine is not recommended by the CDC as an effective preventive measure against COVID-19 and other respiratory diseases. However, people with symptoms of COVID-19, health workers and people who are taking care of an ill person in close settings should wear face masks.

The incubation period for a person exposed to COVID-19 – the time between exposure and first appearance of symptoms – is between two and 14 days. Those who have been in contact with a person known to have COVID-19, or those who have traveled recently to areas such as China where there have been outbreaks, are asked to self-quarantine themselves for 14 days from the time of potential exposure.

Last Friday, the Central Bucks School District closed after students and staff were exposed to someone who later was diagnosed with COVID-19. On Monday, schools in that district reopened.