Foxborough Coronavirus: School Canceled For Next 2 Weeks

FOXBOROUGH, MA — School officials have closed all public schools in Foxborough for the next two weeks following growing concern surrounding the new coronavirus. School will be closed from Monday through March 27, and school officials expect classes to resume on March 30., though this could change.

"These are unprecedented times," Superintendent Amy Berdos said in a statement. "Our current environment is continually changing, and we are making decisions based on the latest information available. We recognize that this will be a hardship for many. With that said, as a District, we feel that this decision is in the best interest of students and families."

School officials said they understand students, families and employees will have questions, and the district will work over the next several days to provide further updates and answer as many questions as possible.

More on Coronavirus

Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that include the common cold as well as much more serious diseases. The strain that emerged in China in late 2019, called COVID-19, is related to others that have caused serious outbreaks in recent years, including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). The first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the U.S. was on Jan. 21.

As of Wednesday there were 95 cases of coronavirus in Massachusetts, including 23 in Norfolk County.

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The disease, which apparently originated in animals, is now being transmitted from person to person, although the mechanism is not yet fully understood. Its symptoms include fever, coughing and shortness of breath, and many patients develop pneumonia. There is as yet no vaccine against COVID-19 and no antiviral treatment.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the best way of to prevent the disease is to avoid close contact with people who are sick, avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands, wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol if soap and water are not available.

To avoid spreading any respiratory illness, the CDC recommends staying at home if you are sick, covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue and throwing the tissue in the trash, and cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces.

Massachusetts coronavirus coverage:

• MA Coronavirus Cases Hit 95, More Than 1,000 Quarantined
• MA Coronavirus Cases Hit 92 As State Of Emergency Declared
• Coronavirus: MIAA Scrambles To Finish Basketball, Hockey Playoffs