ELKINS — Randolph County Schools issued official information and a plan for dealing with the coronavirus Wednesday.

“The risk of COVID-19 at this time is low; however, we want our schools, staff and student families to be assured that we are taking the necessary steps to inform, educate and aid in the prevention of COVID-19,” the release states.

News guidelines and protocols listed in the release include, “If there is a positive diagnosis, parents will need to call the school. Parents will also have to provide documentation when the student is cleared to return.”

“If a student or employee is diagnosed with COVID-19, they must stay home for the recommended 14-day period that they are considered to be contagious,” the document reads. “The suspected case should be immediately reported to the Randolph County Health Dept. and/or Davis Medical Center.”

The release also states, “If a student or employee has a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19, that school or office building will be closed for up to three days for a thorough cleaning. The cleaning process that will be used is the one recommended by the CDC.

“All extra-curricular activities for that school will be cancelled if a school is closed. If a virtual and/or ALC student’s school is closed, then that student will not be permitted to enter the Central Office during that time frame.”

Also on Wednesday, West Virginia Wesleyan College sent a memo to students and staff about the school’s response to the coronavirus issue.

“Circumstances may change quickly, and faculty should begin thinking now about how best to deliver their courses fully online for the remainder of the semester should we decide to suspend face-to-face instruction or face a quarantine situation,” the document states.

“Our goal is to maintain instructional continuity throughout this time so that students are able to complete the courses they have begun. The Office of Academic Affairs, the Registrar, and the Center for Teaching and Learning have created a plan to support learning in the event that a student or faculty is unable to attend class, or if classes move to digital delivery.”

Also. West Virginia’s two major universities are temporarily eliminating face-to-face instruction and extending their spring breaks as they continue to monitor the threat of the new coronavirus in a state with no confirmed cases.

Marshall University in Huntington announced the move Wednesday, a day after West Virginia University in Morgantown disclosed the change. Students at both schools will be offered online instruction or other alternative learning options starting March 30.

For more information about COVID-19, go to https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/, or the West Virginia website https://dhhr.wv.gov/Coronavirus%20Disease-COVID-19/Pages/default.aspx.