Prince William Schools To Close For Coronavirus Preparations

PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, VA — The Prince William County Public Schools system has scheduled a teacher and staff workday for Monday and a virtual workday for Tuesday in response to the rapidly evolving coronavirus, also known as COVID-19. The school system also announced Thursday that all extracurricular activities outside of the regular school day have been canceled until further notice.

The workday on Monday will allow administrators and teachers to make preparations for remote learning in case the county will need to close its schools for an extended period of time, Steve Walts, Prince William County superintendent of schools, wrote in a letter sent Thursday to parents and staff.

For the virtual workday on Tuesday, only essential personnel will be required to report to their school or office. On both Monday and Tuesday, the county's School Age Child Care will operate an all-day program from 6 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. that includes breakfast, lunch and a snack.

The closures also will give the school system an opportunity for additional disinfection of schools and buses.

Walts emphasized that at this time there is no known direct case of the coronavirus within any county school. But he also noted that a number of significant developments occurred Thursday, including Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam's declaration of a state of emergency, that contributed to the school systems to take these new steps. As of Thursday morning, the Virginia Department of Health had confirmed 17 presumptive positive cases of the coronavirus.

On Friday, all students should continue to attend school, but parents can choose to keep their children at home and the absence will be excused. The extracurricular activities cancellation includes before and after-school activities, and community use of buildings and grounds. All field trips, out-of-state trips, team practices, club meetings, interscholastic contests and athletic contests, both home and away, also have been canceled until further notice.

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SATs scheduled for Saturday will take place with health precautions in place, Walts said.

Additional information about the coronavirus can be found on the Prince William County school system's website.

The coronavirus that causes COVID-19 can cause mild to more severe respiratory illness. In a small proportion of patients, COVID-19 can cause death, particularly among those who are older or who have chronic medical conditions. Symptoms include fever, cough and difficulty breathing.

Symptoms appear within 14 days of being exposed to an infectious person. COVID-19 spreads primarily through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. To lower the risk of respiratory germ spread, including COVID-19, the Virginia Department of Health encourages the following effective behaviors:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer only if soap and water are not available.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when coughing or sneezing.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Avoid contact with sick people.
• Avoid non-essential travel.

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