Coronavirus Fears Have Delaware County Schools Preaching Personal Hygiene, Stores Running Low On Hand Sanitizer
UPPER DARBY, Pa. (CBS) -- With coronavirus cases increasing nationwide, Delaware County schools are driving home the importance of good habits in preventing its potential spread. Coronavirus fears are on the uptick.
At St. Laurence School in Upper Darby, officials are sounding the alarm on personal hygiene.
"We just do the things that we can do -- common sense," St. Laurence Principal Sister MaryAnne Bolger said. "We know to keep the germs down."
Bolger says the state's health department is keeping them informed. According to Bolger, St. Laurence is deep-cleaned twice a day.
Additionally at the school, there is a specific emphasis on good hygiene.
"Keep your hands away from your face," Bolger said.
Despite the uproar over the coronavirus, Bolger says two weeks ago, her school community was dealing with a different illness.
"You know what I'm really interested in right now -- the flu," she said. "I want them to be cautious about the flu."
Fifth-grade teacher Evan Peterson is focused on remaining calm.
"We don't want to lose our heads about it. If anything were to come up, follow guidelines given and not to panic," Peterson said.
"If we would dwell on the coronavirus, every child here would have the coronavirus," Bolger said. "That's the way it is. I think I have it, I think I have it. So we go on as normal."
In Drexel Hill, Monsignor Bonner & Archbishop Prendergast Catholic High School President Dr. John Cooke says the school made a purchase of a piece of equipment before coronavirus was ever a headline.
They described it as an R2D2-type machine known as the Halo Fogger. It's a germ-fighting device that can launch a foggy attack on an entire room's worth of surface space.
"Works against the common flu, against coronavirus and against many other forms of bacteria or something that could cause an infection of our students, student-athletes or anyone working in the building," Athletic Director Brian Wagner said.
Store after store in the region, the hand sanitizer shelves are bare, signaling concern over the spreading coronavirus.
Fran Barbera from Overbrook just got over the flu.
"I walk down the aisle here where the hand sanitizer was, the clerk said, 'Please don't even ask me, it's out of stock and we're not getting any in,'" Barbera said. "It's crazy. I was going to buy two for myself and my kids to put in the car."
Store managers at the ShopRite in Drexel Hill tell CBS3 they got a shipment of 200 hand sanitizer bottles on Monday. It was all gone in less than 24 hours.
"It's cause for concern, it's cause for concern. If I can find it, I'll buy a case of it somewhere. If I can find it, I'll buy it," Bill Leitz said.
Leitz says he's not surprised stores are running out of hand sanitizer.
The Archdiocese of Philadelphia and Diocese of Trenton are suspending the reception of wine from the chalice at mass and also suspending the sign of peace.
