Flu Outbreak Forces Closure Of Maine High School

Even though the COVID-19 pandemic is largely in he rear view, in some ways, it seems that we are continuing to live in a "new normal".

Recently, a Maine high school was forced to close due to an outbreak of influenza.

According to WCSH 6, nearly half of the students and staff at Casco Bay High School in Portland were out with the flu on Friday.

Instead of being dismissed at 2:50 PM, the attending students were dismissed at 11:50 AM.

The sheer number of people who have stayed home with the flu has caused the Maine CDC to consider the school as having an "outbreak".  In reality, the Maine Centers For Disease Control declaring an outbreak should not come as a surprise.  The article explains that it only takes 15% of the school's staff and students to be out for the school to get outbreak status.  On Friday, 40% of the school's staff and students were out.

The school's principal sent out a message explaining the situation and thanking the staff for all they have done to contain the outbreak and to keep the school as clean as possible.

The school is expected to reopen on Monday.

While closing the school made a lot of sense for multiple reasons, containing the spread and eliminating the need for half of the students to play catch up when they came back, it still feels odd to hear about a school closing.

You think that, after all we've seen since March of 2020, it would not be so strange.  But, it kind of is.  Growing up in the 90s, I am pretty sure I only saw a school closed for anything other than snow once or twice.

That being said, with almost everyone I know feeling ill (non-COVID) I can understand why they would want to do all they can to prevent the spread.