A norovirus outbreak has affected dozens of children at P.S. 12 in Woodside, and more than 200 children have stayed home in the last two days as a result, according to published reports.
About 60 students reportedly went home on Wednesday after they complained of stomach pains, nausea and vomiting, published reports said. On Thursday, about 210 students were said to have been absent from school. The school serves a total of 1,275 students from kindergarten through fifth grade.
Department of Health officials are currently disinfecting the school and will continue to do so throughout the weekend, a spokesperson for the Department of Education said. The school will remain open through Friday, but many students are expected to be kept home.
Parents at P.S. 12 have been informed about the stomach flu and will be updated on the situation, the spokesperson added.
“We think it is the norovirus, which is fairly typical in winter but obviously has had a very bad effect on that school and its community and on the kids there,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said at an unrelated press conference Thursday. “Our message to any students and staff who are not feeling well is that they should stay home. We want to help them get better, and we want to get a handle on this.”
Click here to learn more about the norovirus.
