All Burlington County Public Schools To Close Due To Coronavirus

BURLINGTON COUNTY, NJ — All public school districts in Burlington County will be shut down from March 16 through April 17 in an attempt to stem the spread of new coronavirus, Burlington County Health Officer Herb Conaway announced Friday evening. On April 17, the timeline will be re-evaluated, Conaway said.

“After the Burlington County Coronavirus Taskforce further evaluated CDC guidance for Implementation of Mitigation Strategies for Communities regarding Local COVID-19 Transmission, strong actions must be taken to ensure the reduction of mass gatherings and community activities,” Conaway said. “The goal of this temporary closure is to slow the transmission within the County. These social distancing strategies, if followed, will reduce the risk of further transmission in our community.”

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He said the April 17 date was picked as the best date that makes sense to “interrupt the spread of the disease.” It also strikes a balance between schools who favored a short-term closure, and schools that favored shutting down for the rest of the school year. See related: Moorestown Friends School To Start Remote Learning Due To Coronavirus

The announcement comes after the third presumptive positive case of coronavirus was announced in Burlington County. A 60-year-old Chesterfield man tested presumptive positive for the disease after a married couple in their 60s tested presumptive positive for the disease earlier in the week. Read more here: Man In Burlington County Coronavirus Case Works At Medical Center

“I am not aware of a child in school that has tested positive, but we are not going to wait until we have a child in a school that tests positive, and then we have to deal with the after-effects,” said Conaway, who was appointed to head the county’s new coronavirus task force earlier this week. “We want to preserve the health of the parents and grandparents who are taking care of these children.”

The announcement came hours after a press conference held by state officials in which Gov. Phil Murphy called the closing of New Jersey public schools “inevitable.” Murphy said the statewide shutdown will happen "in a matter of days" and that New Jersey needs to be fully prepared for it. Read more here: Coronavirus NJ School Closures: Here's The Latest (UPDATE)

Conaway said Burlington County schools are prepared, as many have taken in-service days or held single-session days to prepare for the possibility of remote learning. Read more here: Moorestown Schools To Dismiss Early Monday For Coronavirus Prep

“Information about our emergency preparedness and remote learning can be found on a link on the district website or directly at https://sites.google.com/view/cinnaminson,” Cinnaminson Superintendent of Schools Stephen Cappello said on the district’s website following the announcement. “This website includes information for remote/ home instruction and communication from individual schools.

“Teachers and staff will be working from home during school hours and can assist you with assignments and questions. Additional information about accessing your student’s learning plan will follow from your respective building principal. Families who have previously self-identified a technology/internet deficiency will be contacted by school personnel.

“Throughout this closure period, school lunches will be made available to eligible families. Information about daily lunch orders can be found on the above referenced website. Lunch services will begin on Tuesday, March 17, 2020.

“Contemplating weeks without a regular school routine can be overwhelming. Please know that we are doing our very best to make decisions that are in the best interest of our entire school community. Updates will be posted to the district website as new and relevant information becomes available. We thank you for your patience and understanding as we continue to work through this difficult situation.”

“If we’re going to fight and turn back the tide of this virus, we’re going to have to endure changes in our lifestyle,” Conaway said. “We’re all going to have to work together.”