Some Northern Virginia Schools Closing Beyond Governor's Order

UPDATE: On Friday, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam ordered all K-12 schools in Virginia to close from Monday, March 16, through Friday, March 27 at the minimum.

VIRGINIA — A number of Northern Virginia school districts and college and universities are announcing closures amid the outbreak of the new coronavirus, also known as COVID-19.

Some school systems have implemented closures longer than the governor's order. Some school districts may have snow days available for use, particularly for parts that have seen a mild winter.

The operating decisions come as school districts, colleges and universities are approaching or are in the middle of spring break. School officials must also consider how to approach students, faculty and staff who return from international travel. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advise travelers returning from high-risk countries to stay home for 14 days.

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As of mid-day Friday, Virginia has 30 presumptive and confirmed cases of COVID-19, according to the Virginia Department of Health. Presumptive positive cases must be confirmed by the CDC.

Here's a look at closures beyond March 27 at Northern Virginia school districts and statewide higher education institutions:

School Districts

• Alexandria City Public Schools: Alexandria's school district will close Monday, March 16 and is planning to reopen after spring break, which ends after Monday, April 13.
• Arlington Public Schools: The county's school system opted to close beginning Monday, March 16. The current plan calls for schools to remain closed through spring break with students returning on April 14.
• Fairfax County Public Schools: Fairfax County Public Schools, Virginia's largest school district, decided to close schools through April 10 after concerns about the new coronavirus, also known as the COVID-19 virus. The announcement came after Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam directed K-12 schools to close for at least two weeks starting March 16.
• Falls Church City Public Schools: The City of Falls Church's school district aligned with Arlington Public Schools in closing schools from March 16 through spring break. Students are scheduled to return on April 14.
• Manassas City Public Schools: Prince William County, Manassas City Public Schools and Manassas Park City Schools will be closed through at least April 13 due to the growing health concerns caused by the new coronavirus kown as COVID-19, the school systems said Friday.
• Manassas Park City Schools: Prince William County, Manassas City Public Schools and Manassas Park City Schools will be closed through at least April 13 due to the growing health concerns caused by the new coronavirus kown as COVID-19, the school systems said Friday.
• Prince William County Schools:Prince William County, Manassas City Public Schools and Manassas Park City Schools will be closed through at least April 13 due to the growing health concerns caused by the new coronavirus kown as COVID-19, the school systems said Friday.

Colleges and Universities

• George Mason University: The university is extending its spring break by an additional week through March 20. When spring break ends, most classes will be conducted through "virtual alternative instruction," from March 23 through April 3, the university said.
• Northern Virginia Community College: Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) cancelled classes on Monday, March 16 and Tuesday, March 17 to prepare for a shift to an online-only model. All classes will be conducted online from Wednesday, March 18 to April 4.
• University of Mary Washington:The university has moved classes online and cancelled all on-campus activities and events until further notice.
• University of Virginia: UVA students are currently on spring break and were scheduled to return to class on Monday, March 16. Online classes will begin at UVA on March 19. The university said it will reassess the situation after April 5 at the earliest and periodically after that date.
• Virginia Tech: Spring break will be extended to March 22 and online classes will resume on March 23. The campus will open after spring break ends, but students will take their courses online starting on March 23, the university said.