Northwest Iowa — Schools in Webster City and Sioux City are closed today (Wednesday) as too many kids are out sick, and an elementary in the Laurens-Marathon district was closed Tuesday for the same reason. Siouxland District Health Department spokesman Tyler Brock in Sioux City says it appears schools across the state are impacted by respiratory infections.
Brock says there’s more than one illness causing the trouble.
He says he’s heard some of the over-the-counter remedies are in short supply.
Brock says the best thing for parents to do is keep children home from school when sick. Laurens-Marathon principal Hannah Zylstra know the problem first-hand as she has two kids sick with Influenza A.
There were more than 25 percent of students out sick and the buildings were disinfected so students could return to class today (Wednesday). Canceling classes gives everyone a chance to try and recover.
School districts report to the state when more than 10 percent of students are out due to illness. The most recent data released for the week that ended on January 25th shows more than 100 school buildings statewide impacted by illness.
