Amid the Coronavirus pandemic, Gov. Ralph Northam is following in the footsteps of other states and is ordering that all Virginia K-12 schools close down from March 16-27 to prevent any potential spread of COVID-19.
During the time of his announcement, there were 30 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Virginia.
“We are taking this action to keep Virginians as safe and healthy as possible, and to minimize exposure to COVID-19,” said Governor Northam. “I recognize this will pose a hardship on many families, but closing our schools for two weeks will not only give our staff time to clean and disinfect school facilities, it will help slow the spread of this virus. This is a fluid and fast-changing situation. We will do everything possible to ensure that students who rely on school nutrition programs continue to have access to meals, and that the disruption to academics is as minimal as possible.”
Some schools are taking measures a step further and are closing through mid-April. Arlington County Public Schools, Falls Church City Public Schools and Alexandria City Public Schools are those participating thus far.
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