As Iowans prepare to travel for spring break, they are asked to keep their health in mind and take appropriate precautions against the COVID-19 virus. The Centers for Disease Control recommends that travelers avoid all nonessential travel to Italy, South Korea, Iran, and China. Also, consider postponing nonessential travel to Japan if you are an older adult or have chronic medical conditions.

The Iowa Department of Public Health advises there are currently no cases of novel coronavirus in Iowa and the immediate risk from COVID-19 is low. Washington County Public Health Director Danielle Pettit-Majewski reminds people to prevent the spread of illness by washing your hands for 20 seconds with soap and water, covering coughs and sneezes, and take steps to contain illness, “Make sure you stay home when you’re sick. Make sure you keep your kiddos home when they’re sick. Just like we would encourage for any other communicable illness is that you’re not going out into big groups of people because really what we’re seeing is that close contact, within about six feet, is the best course of transmission. So, this is droplet spread, we don’t yet know if it is airborne. So, even within close contacts of about six feet we really want to ensure that if you are not feeling well that you are not going out into large groups of people.”

Symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, coughing, and shortness of breath. Pettit-Majewski says if you have such symptoms, call your healthcare provider to be seen.

Washington Community School District students and staff will have five days for spring break, March 18-22.