(Madera, Calif.) – Valley Children’s commends the actions of local education leaders who have made the decision to suspend in-person classes. This includes Fresno Unified, Central Unified, Fresno State, Fresno City College and Fresno Pacific University.
“The concerns surrounding COVID-19 are far-reaching and are impacting every aspect of our community’s life,” says Valley Children’s President and CEO Todd Suntrapak. “All of the actions are driven by a shared commitment to do all we can to minimize the community transmission of this virus. The actions of these educational leaders speak directly to their bold leadership, to their commitment to keeping our children, students and their families safe, and to their commitment to act in the interest of the greater community good. Valley Children’s stands beside these community leaders in their actions today and we are committed to do all we can to help keep our children safe during these unprecedented times.”
In his news conference today, Fresno Unified Superintendent Bob Nelson described the difficulty of this decision and the impact on the families in California’s fourth-largest school district. The levels of poverty our children experience made this decision even more “gut wrenching,” said Nelson---and acknowledged that it is the right thing to do for the sake of the community’s health.
“Superintendent Nelson is absolutely correct in his assessment,” said Suntrapak. “As a community, we get one chance to minimize the spread of this virus and our best chance is in our collective response. Our educational leaders are united in this commitment.”
As of today, there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 within the Valley Children’s Healthcare network. While news of this particular coronavirus strain are worrisome, Valley Children’s physicians and staff urge families to protect themselves from the transmission of COVID-19 and other respiratory conditions that we are currently seeing in our emergency department and primary care practices – cases of influenza (flu) and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). We are in the heart of flu/RSV season and urge you to follow everyday preventative actions to help prevent the spread of respiratory viruses:
- 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.
- 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.
If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s health, please call your primary care physician. If you have a medical emergency, please call 911 or visit your closest emergency department.
Valley Children’s has established a COVID-19 hotline to answer parents’ and caregivers’ general questions about this virus and its impacts on children. The local number is 559-353-3333 or 1-888-286-9336 (toll-free).