St. Louis City, County Schools To Close March 18 Due To COVID-19

ST. LOUIS, MO — Most schools will close in St. Louis, St. Louis County and the Archdiocese of St. Louis Wednesday and will not reopen until at least April 3, officials said in joint a statement Sunday night. All athletic practices and competitions and extracurricular activities are also canceled.

The action was taken in response to the coronavirus pandemic sweeping the globe. State health officials say three more people in Missouri have tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, since last week, bringing the total number of cases statewide to five.

"The decision to close our school districts was extremely difficult, made in consultation with all area Superintendents and out of an abundance of caution for our families," the joint statement said. "We know that closing our schools will have a significant impact on our families, but we also believe that strong, urgent action must be taken to prevent the spread of this disease and to protect lives."

The following school districts will close:

• Affton School District
• Archdiocese of St. Louis Schools
• Bayless School District
• Brentwood School District
• School District of Clayton
• Ferguson Florissant School District
• Hancock Place School District
• Hazelwood School District
• Jennings School District
• Kirkwood School District
• Ladue School District
• Lindbergh Schools
• Maplewood-Richmond Heights School District
• Mehlville School District
• Normandy School District
• Parkway School District
• Pattonville School District
• Ritenour School District
• Riverview Gardens School District
• Rockwood School District
• Special School District (SSD)
• St. Louis Public Schools (including Charters)
• University City School District
• Valley Park School District
• Voluntary Interdistrict Choice Corporation
• Webster Groves School District

"Our goal is always to protect the safety, health, and wellness of our students, staff, and families. Our strength as a community is our greatest asset. In making this decision, we are working together to protect each other and slow the progression of COVID-19," officials said.

"We will continue to remain in contact with public health officials, elected leaders, and neighboring school districts and keep parents and media updated with new information as it becomes available."

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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, now called SARS-Cov-2, 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, the illness caused by SARS-Cov-2, struck the U.S. on Jan. 21.

The disease, which apparently originated in animals, is now being spread 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 CDC, the best way of preventing 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 when 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.

For more information, or if you develop upper respiratory symptoms, including cough or shortness of breath, or a fever over 100.4 degrees, call the state's 24-hour hotline at 877-435-8411 or visit the state's COVID-19 website.

St. Louis County residents can also visit stlcorona.com or call the county's coronavirus hotline at 314-615-2660. City residents can call the St. Louis City Department of Health at 314-657-1499, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., or visit the city's coronavirus website.