CARENCRO — The Lafayette Parish School System has announced that Carencro Heights Elementary will be closed on Friday November 8, 2019.
The School System says the closure on November 8, 2019, is due to a large number of confirmed cases of influenza virus. LPSS says there are 85 confirmed flu cases but around 200 students are currently out of school at Carencro Heights.
The school's student population is around 600.
During the closure, custodial staff will clean and disinfect the school to prevent the spread of the virus. LPSS says it will also give time for those who are sick to recover from the illness.
School at Carencro Heights Elementary will resume on Monday November 11, 2019.
Anyone with flu-like symptoms is asked to see their doctors and receive treatment for the flu. Carencro School Based Health clinics at Carencro Middle School is offering flu vaccines for those with no insurance or that have Medicaid, however, an appointment is required.
Information on that clinic is below:
Carencro School Based Health Clinics
4301 N University Avenue
Carencro LA 70525
7:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
(337) 521-7499
The Centers for Disease Control does not recommend schools be closed to "disinfect" during flu outbreaks.
Here's what they say:
It is important to match your cleaning and disinfecting activities to the types of germs you want to remove or kill. Most studies have shown that the flu virus can live and potentially infect a person for up to 48 hours after being deposited on a surface. However, it is not necessary to close schools to clean or disinfect every surface in the building to slow the spread of flu. Also, if students and staff are dismissed because the school cannot function normally (e.g., high absenteeism during a flu outbreak), it is not necessary to do extra cleaning and disinfecting.
To read more about what the CDC recommends regarding flu outbreaks and schools, click here.
