Chicago's Vaughn Occupational High School will be closed until March 18, Chicago Public Schools and health officials said Saturday, one day after revealing a classroom aide tested positive for the coronavirus.
At a news conference Friday night, health officials said the employee — a Chicago resident in her 50s — was last present at the school on Monday, March 2.
After conducting interviews with the patient, officials later said the aide actually last reported to work on March 4, and as a result, announced the school would be closed an additional three days, until March 19.
On Saturday, health agency and environmental vehicles were stationed outside Vaughn as crews worked to clean the school.
The woman, who remains hospitalized in stable condition, recently traveled on the Grand Princess — the cruise ship on which 21 passengers tested positive for the coronavirus.
Students, faculty and staff who have been to the school since Feb. 25 are encouraged to stay home and only leave to seek medical care, said Chicago Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady.
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Arwady added that CPDH and CPS have begun a "robust individual outreach process to student, faculty and staff at the school to establish who had direct contact with the patient and to assess for symptoms."
Health officials are closely monitoring any person who was in close contact with the patient and may be at risk for the coronavirus, Arwady said.
