Plainview Schools Ordered To Close For 2 Weeks

PLAINVIEW, NY — Plainview schools will remain closed through March 20, school district officials announced Thursday, aligning with what Gov. Andrew Cuomo had initially said at a news conference earlier in the day.

"This afternoon, the Plainview-Old Bethpage Central School District was ordered by the Nassau County Department of Health to close all schools within the District starting tomorrow, March 13, 2020, and reopen on Friday, March 20, 2020," Superintendent Lorna Lewis said. "While there are no additional confirmed cases of COVID-19 that have been reported within the District, we are closing all schools out of an abundance of caution and commitment to contain the spread of the virus within our community."

The two-week hiatus will allow the district to further clean and implement "social-distancing" measures, Lewis said. All school-district activities will pause, as will after-school activities, extracurricular athletics, parent-teacher association meetings, and all other events that would be located within the district.

"We recognize the inconvenience the closure poses to our community and we thank you for your understanding, patience and flexibility," Lewis said. :While I know the closure is a disruption, it is important to remember that every step we take is intended to put the safety of our community first and participate in an effort to contain the virus."

The district is working with county health officials on the "full extent of precautions" it should take.

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Lewis acknowledged the district won't be able to completely replace in-class learning, but is prepared to provide modified online instruction. Parents on Sunday will receive an email with directions on how to access the online learning courses.

The district canceled classes Tuesday after a staff member tested positive for the new coronavirus and hasn't returned since.