Leschi Elementary closes after potential norovirus outbreak

Seattle Public Schools superintendent Denise Juneau is closing Leschi Elementary for extensive cleaning after more than 100 students an staff went home sick with what is believed to be norovirus on Thursday.

The school is expected to reopen on Monday, according to an SPS news release.

Public Health— Seattle & King County has provided cleaning recommendations for the school, which will be carried out by SPS custodial staff.

SPS notified Public Health about a potential norovirus outbreak on Wednesday. District spokesperson Tim Robinson tells MPT the number of people reporting being sick on Wednesday “hadn’t reached the point that triggered the decision to close.”

Norovirus can be contracted by eating contaminated food, but Public Health spokesperson James Apa tells MPT the agency determined the cafeteria food at Leschi was safe. No other school in the district reported high cases of illness, according to SPS.

Apa says the school district doesn’t need to call in cleaning specialists to address contaminated areas and surfaces at Leschi Elementary as long as it follows disinfection guidelines and uses cleaning agents approved by the EPA as effective against Norovirus.