Manchester Schools Close Indefinitely As Coronavirus Spreads

MANCHESTER, NJ — The Manchester Township School District has closed its schools until further notice in response to concerns over the new coronavirus, district officials announced.

The closure comes as a Manchester man was announced as the first confirmed positive case of COVID-19 in Ocean County on Friday. The 72-year-old man is hospitalized at Ocean Medical Center, where he has been since March 9. Read more: Manchester Police Officer, EMTs Exposed To Man With Coronavirus

The district will be moving to remote instruction, Superintendent David Trethaway said.

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Trethaway said the staff has been preparing remote lesson plans for students "taking into consideration the students varied levels of access to technology and their specific learning needs."

"The majority of our students will be able to access and complete these assignments online, however our staff has also prepared specific lessons and activities for students unable to receive this online instruction due to lack of internet access or devices or other specific needs," he said.

Work packets have been sent home with many students and for those who have not received packets, the teachers will be in school and communicating with students and parents to make arrangements to distribute packets as soon as possible.

Trethaway said teachers will be in touch with students and parents on Monday, using either the communication platforms they use in their regular instruction or by phone calls and emails for those students with limited ability with online access. Teachers will be available to students via email and will be communicating through their online platforms throughout the closure.

Families who have internet access but are in need of a device will be contacted about the potential for borrowing a device from the school district.

For low-income families that do not have internet access, Comcast is offering 60 days of its Internet Essentials service at no charge to new customers and increasing the speed of service.

Students who participate in free and reduced breakfast and lunch programs will receive specific directions through a phone call, Trethaway said.

Additional information will be shared Monday, he said.

There are 50 cases of COVID-19 in New Jersey as of Friday, with one death, a Bergen County man. The Manchester man, who was among the new cases announced by state health officials Friday, is the first Ocean County resident with a presumptive positive test.

Presumptive positive means the person tested positive in state labs. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ultimately confirms the test. So far, 100 percent of the state's positive tests have been confirmed.

COVID-19 is caused by a member of the coronavirus family that's a close cousin to the SARS and MERS viruses that have caused outbreaks in the past. Read more: NJ Coronavirus Updates: Here's What You Need To Know

"This decision was not reached lightly as we are fully aware of the challenges that this brings to all of our families, however the safety and health of all of our students, staff, parents and community must be paramount," Trethaway said.

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