Norfolk woman returning from school trip to Italy is suspected of coronavirus in Massachusetts

Massachusetts’ second suspected case of coronavirus has been identified in a woman in her twenties in Norfolk County who recently returned from Italy with a school group, state health officials said Monday evening.

It was the first case to test positive since testing began Friday at the state Public Health Laboratory.

The woman is recovering at home, officials said.

“The individual’s test results came back positive tonight,” a statement from the Department of Public Health said Monday evening. “Samples will be sent to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and, if confirmed, this would be the second confirmed case of COVID-19 positive in Massachusetts since the start of the epidemic in the States -United in January. “

Confirmed cases of coronavirus among students and staff returning from trips to Italy forced a Rhode Island school to close for the week, while schools in Newton and Bellingham and New Hampshire fired children and teachers on Monday potentially exposed at home.

In Rhode Island, a teenage girl recently returned from Italy tested positive for the coronavirus, along with two traveling adults, prompting Saint Raphael’s Academy in Pawtucket to close until March 9.

The 38 people on the trip are urged to stay home for 14 days and monitor themselves for symptoms of the coronavirus.

At Newton North High School, more than 20 students and staff who have returned from Italy will remain at home until further notice, officials said on Monday.

The 19 Newton North students, two staff and a retired teacher were in Florence, Italy for three weeks and in Rome for a week. They have no symptoms, but are told to take their temperature twice a day and monitor themselves for symptoms of the coronavirus.

“These are troubling times for our community, our staff and our students,” Newton Schools Superintendent David Fleishman said Monday. “It is particularly difficult for our students who have just returned from an exceptional educational experience in Italy.

In Bellingham, some students and staff who have traveled abroad will also stay at home.

“Out of caution, and under the direction of the Bellingham Board of Health, we have asked these students and staff to stay home from school next week,” school officials wrote over the weekend. . “There is no cause for concern at this time as this is a precautionary measure. Schools will continue to monitor the situation, disinfect classrooms every night and take other measures. if necessary. “

The coronavirus recently peaked in Italy. More than 1,600 people have been infected with the highly contagious disease there and 34 people have died.

More than 89,000 people around the world have been infected with the coronavirus and more than 3,000 people have died.

There have been at least 80 cases in the United States and six people have died. The first confirmed case in Massachusetts was a UMass Boston student who had traveled from Wuhan, China, where the disease was first detected. New Hampshire announced its first case on Monday – a person recently returned from Italy.

In Kearsarge, New Hampshire, 35 high school students recently returned home after traveling to Italy.

“As a precaution, I ask the students and staff who participated in the trip to stay home from school next week and return on Monday March 9,” said Kearsarge Regional School District Superintendent Winfried Feneberg . “This will ensure that a period of 14 days has elapsed from the time the students left the affected region.”