SACRAMENTO, Calif. — All schools in Sacramento County, including the office of education, will be shutdown for at least three weeks beginning March 16 due to the coronavirus pandemic, county school officials announced Friday.
The closures impact all 13 local school districts and the Sacramento County Office of Education, which impacts at least 246,000 students and 14,390 certified staff, according to data from the California Department of Education.
Those 13 districts include the following:
- Arcohe Union School District (K-8)
- Center Joint Unified School District (K-12)
- Elk Grove Unified School District (K-12)
- Elverta Joint School District (K-8)
- Folsom Cordova Unified School District (K-12)
- Galt Joint Union Elementary School District (K-8)
- Galt Joint Union High School District (9-12)
- Natomas Unified School District (K-12)
- River Delta Unified School District (K-12)
- Robla School District (K-6)
- Sacramento City Unified School District (K-12)
- San Juan Unified School District (K-12)
- Twin Rivers Unified School District (K-12)
Both Elk Grove Unified and Twin Rivers Unified school districts announced that they would be closed until at least April 13. Twin Rivers officials are using April 6 through April 13 as their Spring Break, allowing kids to go back to school on April 14.
Sacramento County Office of Education said it did not make the decision lightly, and districts recognize this may cause a hardship for some families.
The districts plan to make meals available for students who need them. In Sacramento County, about 60% of the county's students who qualify for free and reduced lunch.
Each school district is to communicate directly with families and staff with updates.
County education officials said they appreciate the community's support in taking proactive steps to fight the spread of COVID-19.
"The steps to prevent illness make a significant difference in safeguarding the health of our communities, and we encourage continued attention in this effort," the Sacramento County Office of Education said.
CORONAVIRUS BACKGROUND:
According to the CDC, coronavirus (COVID-19) is a family of viruses that is spreadable from person to person. Coronavirus is believed to have been first detected in a seafood market in Wuhan, China in December 2019. If someone is sick with coronavirus, the symptoms they may show include mild to severe respiratory illness, cough, and difficulty breathing.
Currently, there is no vaccine, however, the CDC suggests the following precautions, along with any other respiratory illness:
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
- Wash your hands with soap and water for a minimum of 20 seconds.
The CDC also says facemasks should only be used by people who show symptoms of the virus. If you’re not sick, you do not have to wear a facemask. The CDC says the immediate risk to the U.S. public is low.
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