Livingston Schools Will Close For 2 Weeks Due To Coronavirus

LIVINGSTON, NJ — The Livingston Public School District will be shifting into “remote learning” mode and closing schools for two weeks due to the new coronavirus known as COVID-19.

As the virus continues to spread in New Jersey, Livingston school officials are taking precautionary actions, including a big step: initiating the district’s remote learning plan.

That plan will involve closing schools from Monday, March 16 to Friday, March 27.

Superintendent Matthew Block released a statement about the move on Thursday:

“We have worked hard over the past several months, in the face of a challenging situation, to keep our schools as healthy and safe as possible. While, as of today, we continue to have no known cases of coronavirus in Livingston, we know through our health professionals and officials that gathering together in groups can perpetuate the spread of the virus. As of today, we have received a great deal of information about the importance of taking significant measures now, before the virus spreads further, to minimize the spread of the virus. In consultation with the Department of Health and other local officials, we have decided, in order to mitigate the fast spread of the coronavirus in our broader community, that Livingston Public Schools will initiate our Remote Learning Plan.”

Block continued:

“Please know that we take this decision to close school with the utmost seriousness. This plan was not reached lightly or easily. The health and safety of our students and staff have to come first, and we believe this plan does just that. In light of the potential health risks, we felt strongly that we need to be proactive and responsive in light of the emerging information. If we waited for known cases, or a spread through our schools, we certainly would look back with regret. We believe this is the best time to put this procedure in place.”

“We have been assured that each remote learning day will count as a day of school for the 2019-2020 school year,” Block added.

The Livingston school district isn’t alone in its precautions. Amid Gov. Phil Murphy’s declaration of a state of emergency in New Jersey, districts across the state have been cancelling classes.

• See related article: NJ Coronavirus Updates (Here's What You Need To Know)

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LIVINGSTON SCHOOLS: GOING REMOTE

Here’s what the Remote Learning Plan means for Livingston students and parents, school officials said.

Thursday, March 12 - As of today, all sports scrimmages have been cancelled. Athletic practices will continue to be held through tomorrow (3/13). After tomorrow (3/13), all athletic practices and events will not be held until school is fully back in session. Shrek the Musical, scheduled to be held this weekend at Livingston High School, and the Heritage Middle School parent orientation program scheduled for tonight, have both been postponed.

Friday, March 13 - Livingston Public Schools will be open for an Early Dismissal Day. Students will come in on time and follow the Early Dismissal Schedule. Early Dismissal Schedules can be found on our website by clicking the following link, https://www.livingston.org/Page/11. This will give students a chance to touch base with their teachers, gather materials, and even practice for remote learning. We are holding a single session day, so that principals can meet one more time with teachers, and teachers can make final preparations for remote learning, which will begin the following Monday (3/16).

Monday, March 16 to Friday, March 27 - Livingston Public Schools facilities will be closed and all extracurricular, athletic, and social activities will not be held. Remote Learning will take place each weekday beginning on March 16. Student expectations for remote learning were shared in a letter yesterday, and all information is available on our website by clicking the following link, https://www.livingston.org/lps-covid19.

Monday, March 16 – The Board of Education meeting scheduled for Monday, March 16, has been cancelled. The meeting scheduled for Wednesday, March 18 will begin at 6 p.m.

WHAT IS COVID-19?

Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that include the common cold as well as much more serious diseases. The strain that emerged in China in late 2019, now called COVID-19, is related to others that have caused serious outbreaks in recent years, including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). The first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the U.S. was on Jan. 21.

The disease, which apparently originated in animals, is now transferring from person to person, although the mechanism is not yet fully understood. Its symptoms include fever, coughing and shortness of breath, and many patients develop pneumonia. There is as yet no vaccine against COVID-19 it and no antiviral treatment.

According to the CDC, the best way of preventing the disease is to avoid close contact with people who are sick, to avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands, to wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and to use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol if soap and water are not available.

To avoid spreading any respiratory illness, the CDC recommends staying at home when you are sick, covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue and throwing the tissue in the trash, cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces.

The CDC does not recommend that people who are well wear a face mask to protect themselves from respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19. You should only wear a mask if a health care professional recommends it. A face mask should be used by people who have COVID-19 and are showing symptoms. This is to protect others from the risk of getting infected. The use of face masks also is crucial for health workers and other people who are taking care of someone infected with COVID-19 in close settings (at home or in a health care facility).

Residents who have questions about the virus can contact the State of New Jersey's hotline at 1 (800) 222-1222. The hotline is home of the New Jersey Poison Information and Education System, and is staffed 24 hours a day by state health workers.

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