St. Louise School Closed, but Playoff Schedule Remains Unchanged

Greetings CYO Athletics community,

It came to our attention today, Friday, February 4 that St. Louise school was closed today and again Monday due to a significant occurrence of flu. At this point, estimates are that 25% of the community had been out of school at some point this week due to this illness.

We understand the following to be true:

1. In these cases, closing the school is as much or more about limiting the exposure of the school community to one another as it is to the facility;

2. The St. Louise maintenance staff is using this time to sanitize surfaces that students come into contact with, above and beyond normal daily cleaning;

3. This is flu season so that it has been making its rounds around many communities in Western Washington: the virus is not exclusive to St. Louise;

4. Simple precautions can assist in preventing the spread of the flu no matter where you are and what you are doing - as indicated on Washington State Department of Health website: http://www.doh.wa.gov/FluNews/flufacts.htm#basics:

Good Health Habits
Protect yourself and others--use good health habits

Take these simple precautions to help prevent the spread of flu and other lung and breathing (respiratory) diseases:

• Get a flu vaccine every year.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue or your upper sleeve, not your bare hand.
• Use a tissue to wipe your nose, then throw the tissue away.
• Wash your hands frequently with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use alcohol-based hand gel or disposable wipes.
• Stay home and away from others while you or your family members are sick.
• Wear a mask to cover your face in a medical office, if asked.

As always, we would ask members of the CYO Athletics community to use prudence in making decisions. We would especially encourage those who have been sick with the flu or been exposed to it keep in mind how their decisions affect other people. Practicing the good health habits above should assist in keeping people healthy. However, we cannot guarantee that players or others will not be exposed to the virus in any gym or facility in which playoffs are taking place during this time.

At this time, playoff brackets will remain unchanged as a result of this issue. Thank you.

Tauno Latvala
Director of CYO Athletics