Malden Charter School To Close Amid Coronavirus Concerns

MALDEN, MA — A charter school in Malden will close for three days next week amid concerns over the transmission of coronavirus. Mystic Valley Regional Charter School has suspended school operations between Wednesday, March 11 and Friday, March 13, Superintendent/Director Alexander Dan wrote in a letter to parents Thursday.

"We have become increasingly concerned that transmission among school-aged children could be a significant risk factor, not for the young people themselves, but for family members, especially those with pre-existing health conditions or the elderly," Dan wrote, adding that administrators also wanted to be proactive as the end of flu season approaches.

The school had previously scheduled days off on Monday and Tuesday and has additional days at the end of the school year designated to make up snow days, according to Dan. The administration said the decision to close school was not a response to a threat of infection or exposure within the MVRCS community.

Related: RI School To Remain Closed For Second Week

On social media, parents expressed concern over two students who they said returned to school after traveling outside of the country.

"I would like to emphasize that, to our knowledge, no MVRCS students have or have been exposed to the new coronavirus (COVID-19). Additionally, we are not aware of any students having taken trips to countries identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as restricted," Dan wrote. He asked families to notify the school if they plan to travel internationally in the coming weeks.

Administrators have been in contact with state and local health agencies and were not directed to cancel school "in response to COVID-19 exposure concerns," according to Dan.

"Our top priority is to do everything possible to keep our students safe," Dan wrote. "Taking this step provides us with additional time and perspective to watch as the professionals assess the nature of the outbreak, and it allows us to take additional protective steps within the school in the area of safety and sanitary protocols."

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