Baltimore City Schools Sanitizing Buses Twice Daily Amid Coronavirus Concerns
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Despite no confirmed cases of coronavirus in Baltimore as of Wednesday, City Schools CEO Dr. Sonja Santelises said the district is being proactive to prevent the spread.
"We have a team ready of some of our best custodians around disinfecting a building in the event we have to go to that level," Santelises said.
She said buses are being cleaned and sanitized twice daily, also.
"We have increased our attention to 'high-touch points' in schools, so doorknobs, handrails, areas in schools where young people tend to put hands," Santelises said.
State officials said they've increased daily cleaning to MTA Buses and other public transportation, too.
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Some school districts have discussed how to continue learning with the possibility of lengthy school closures.
"We've built a framework for some online instruction with the Swine Flu stuff," Bob Mosier, of Anne Arundel County Public Schools, said. "We've added components, technology-wise to that."
Some officials, however, said not all districts have the capacity or access to technology with a digital divide and opportunity gaps between districts.
"Some students don't have the technology they need for a complete education experience online," John White, Education Consultant at Queen Anne's County, said. "Some students can't afford to have a laptop that costs $1,000 or more, and, many school districts haven't budgeted to provide all the technology that children might need at this time."
Besides learning, administrators also need to plan on how to feed students on free and reduced lunches. In Baltimore City, they have a group in place talking about coordinating meals in the event of school closures.
For the latest information on coronavirus go to the Maryland Health Department's website or call 211. You can find all of WJZ's coverage on coronavirus in Maryland here.
