Centerville Elementary school on Bay Lane will be closed on Friday, May 18, due to a high volume of illness suffered by both staff and students alike.
Barnstable Public Schools Superintendent, Meg Mayo-Brown, says about 100 students and 30% of the staff are suffering from norovirus-like symptoms of nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. As a result, the decision was made to close Centerville Elementary and thoroughly clean and disinfect the building. Brown says the first cleaning was done Wednesday night and a second round of disinfecting the facility will be done on Friday.
Brown says norovirus can only be confirmed through a medical exam of an individual and not through environmental factors.
Officials expect the school to reopen on Monday.