February 27, 2020

Dear Lake County Tech Campus Parents and Guardians:

Student, staff and stakeholder health, safety and well-being are our highest priorities. As such, with the recently elevated discussion regarding the Coronavirus, we want to take a moment to reinforce best-practice preventative safety measures. We are sharing some additional resource information from the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), and the Lake County Health Department (LCHD).

There is currently no vaccine to prevent COVID-19 infection. As with any respiratory virus, students and school personnel can protect themselves and others by taking every day common-sense actions:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not

available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands. 

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick. 

• Stay home when you are sick. 

• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash. 

• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

At this point, IDPH does NOT recommend:

• The use of masks or gloves 

• Canceling mass gatherings 

• Canceling classes

Tech Campus continues to work with related federal, state, and local agencies to monitor the Coronavirus and share critical information among those agencies. In the extreme event of a virus detection that might impact Tech Campus, the Lake County Health Department would take the immediate lead in assessment, advice, and direction, up to and including decision-making and communication in conjunction with district officials. Rest assured, we would follow the direction and recommendations of our public health officials. In light of February 25 CDC comments regarding a possible Coronavirus outbreak affecting schools and advising schools to plan ahead for a virus-related closing, in the extreme event of a necessary school closing at Tech Campus, we would utilize our state-approved eLearning Plan.

In closing, Tech Campus will continue to work closely with LCHD regarding the Coronavirus and other infectious diseases, and we will continue to share important information with you as it becomes available. 

Here are links for more information on the coronavirus:

Centers for Disease Control:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

Illinois Department of Public Health:
http://dph.illinois.gov/topics-services/diseases-and-conditions/diseases-a-z-list/coronavirus

Lake County Health Department:

https://www.lakecountyil.gov/4377/Coronavirus-Disease-2019-COVID-19

Sincerely,

Steve Clark.

Executive Director