[FOR YOUR AWARENESS] Reported Case of COVID-19 in Skinner North ES Community

Dear Skinner North Community,
 
Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is committed to keeping families and staff informed of the most current developments regarding the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). After the mandated school closure, a person who was working in the building during the closure tested positive for COVID-19. You are receiving this notification because we are still in the process of distributing devices for remote learning. 

To ensure the health and wellbeing of our Skinner North ES community, we will not be distributing devices on May 26 and will reschedule device distribution to a later date. We will inform you of the new date shortly. No action needs to be taken on your part at this time. 

Community spread of COVID-19 is occurring in Chicago
Community spread means spread of an illness for which the source of infection is unknown. COVID-19 is a new respiratory illness that can spread from person to person, and the most common signs and symptoms of the virus—similar to the flu and other respiratory viruses— are fever, cough, and difficulty breathing. While you generally need to be in close contact with a person with COVID-19 to get infected (i.e. being within 6 feet of a person with COVID-19 for about 10 minutes), please keep in mind that in this community spread phase, you may have been exposed to someone sick with COVID-19 who may not have known they were positive. 

You can help slow the spread of COVID-19 in your community by practicing these simple common-sense preventative actions:

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick, especially if you are at higher risk for serious illness.
  
• Practice enhanced hygiene:
  
  • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.
    
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
    
  • Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash and wash your hands.
    
  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces, such as doorknobs, countertops, and phones.
    
  • Try alternatives to shaking hands, like an elbow bump or wave.
    
• Practice enhanced hygiene if you use public transportation. For those at higher risk, if you use public transportation and the train or bus is too full, wait for the next one. If possible, walk or bike.
  
• Get plenty of rest, drink plenty of fluids, eat healthy foods, and manage your stress to keep your immune system strong.
  
• If you have recently returned from a country, state, or region with ongoing spread of COVID-19, monitor your health and follow the instructions of public health officials.
  

Further information and advice:
Governor Pritzker issued a stay-at-home order through May 30 and canceled in-person instruction for the remainder of the school year.  

For the most reliable information, please visit www.chicago.gov/coronavirus or www.cdc.gov/coronavirus. To contact the Chicago Department of Public Health with your questions about the virus, please email coronavirus@chicago.gov or call 312-746-4835. Phone lines are currently staffed from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week. Please note that this call center can not access COVID-19 testing results. For testing inquiries or results, please contact your healthcare provider.

Please review our CPS FAQ here. For school-specific updates, visit www.cps.edu/coronavirus. If you need help locating medical care or have any CPS-specific questions, please reach out to the CPS Command Center at familyservices@cps.edu or 773-553-KIDS (5437), which is staffed 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Sincerely,

Katie Magnuson