WOODSIDE — More than 200 students at P.S. 12 stayed home from school Thursday amid a possible outbreak of Norovirus, sources and officials said Thursday.
The Department of Health is investigating a report of cases of the stomach flu at the elementary school, located at 42-00 72nd St. near Woodside Avenue, according to Department of Education officials.
DOH officials were currently disinfecting the school and would continue to clean it during the weekend, officials said.
Sources said 210 students were absent Thursday, possibly as a result of the outbreak. The school has 1,280 students enrolled from kindergarten through fifth grade, according to the DOE.
At dismissal on Thursday, DOH officials handed out fliers to parents picking up their children to notify them of the outbreak.
Mayor Bill de Blasio said at an unrelated press conference that the school was being evaluated by DOH officials but would not close during the cleaning.
"I have ordered the school be disinfected today and again over the weekend, so we'll take two passes at it," he said.
"We think it's the Norovirus which is fairly typical in the winter, but obviously its had a very bad effect on that school community and on the kids there."
He told any students or staff who aren't feeling well to "stay home."
"We want to help them get better and we want to get a handle on this," he said.
