A Virginia school district issued monkeypox guidelines on Thursday shortly before the first day of school, recommending district members avoid any sexual contact or kissing.
Fairfax County Public Schools in Fairfax, Virginia, issued monkeypox guidance for the school district in accordance with the Fairfax County Health Department. The guidance suggests that the district avoids skin-to-skin contact with anyone who appears to have monkeypox, advising people to not “kiss, hug, cuddle or have sex” with those possibly infected. (RELATED: ‘It’s Just Not Fair’: Virginia Mom To Call On State Legislature After School Suspended Her Kids For Not Wearing Masks)
Students, educators and parents should avoid touching objects a monkeypox patient may have used including eating utensils, bedding, towels and cups, the guidance stated. The guidance also advises the district community to wash their hands with soap and water.
“FCPS will provide a notification letter from the health department to the entire school community if a positive case is identified at a school site and it is deemed that exposures may have occurred in the school setting,” the guidance stated. “FCHD Public Health experts will identify people who may have been exposed and contact parents and guardians if it is determined that a child needs to be tested or monitored.”
Fairfax County Public Schools has attracted controversy over the past several years for its policies promoting Critical Race Theory and gender ideology in schools. The district previously considered rules on whether or not to suspend students who “misgender” other students.
The school district’s “disinfection and sanitization” protocol used against COVID-19 will be used to prevent monkeypox, the guidance stated. Any surface, “including counters, tables, doorknobs, light switches, handles, stair rails, elevator buttons, desks, keyboards, phones, toilets, faucets and sinks” will be disinfected regularly.
A sign announcing monkeypox vaccination is setup in Tropical Park by Miami-Dade County and Nomi Health on August 15, 2022 in Miami, Florida. Miami-Dade continues to urge people to vaccinate as they work to get more vaccines now that the county has over 400 cases, which is the most in the state. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Additional precautions for sports and activities are on a case-by-case basis and will be administered by each school’s director of student activities, the guidance stated. Parents are asked to keep children who have a rash at home and take them to see a medical provider.
The guidance linked to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s document “What You Need to Know about Monkeypox if You are a Teen or Young Adult.” The document explains that Monkeypox is a rare disease that does not spread easily between people.
Since Tuesday, 56 cases of monkeypox have been reported in Fairfax County. Of U.S. monkeypox cases, 99% are men and 94% are men who recently had sex with another man.
“Viruses do not discriminate by race, by religion or by sexual orientation,” the guidance stated. “Our caring culture reminds us that we should treat each other with respect and dignity and that bullying of any kind will not be tolerated.
Fairfax County Public Schools did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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