Morris School District Shuts Down Amid Coronavirus Concerns

MORRISTOWN, NJ - Citing concerns with the encroaching novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, the Morris School District will be switching to a distance learning model starting on Monday.

Officials said they anticipate being closed until at least March 27.

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"I realize that the extended closure of our schools and the transition to virtual learning district-wide will disrupt the usual patterns of all of our lives," said Superintendent Mackey Pendergrast. "You will, understandably, have many questions, and challenges are bound to arise. This update offers our initial answers with the promise of more information to come as we launch the Virtual Learning Hub next week."

Friday, will be an early dismissal day for students; Sunset will operate as normal until 6 p.m.

ALL after school activities and events, sports, plays, club meetings, evening classes and presentations, field trips, etc., are suspended beginning Friday until further notice. Rescheduling of events may or may not be possible. Officials said students should prepare for an extended closure by clearing out lockers, cubbies, and classrooms of any personal or educational items they may need on Friday. Students in grades 6-12 must bring their district-issued Chromebooks and chargers home with them.

Monday and Tuesday, March 17, will be non-instructional days using two remaining emergency days. All school buildings will be closed, and Sunrise/Sunset will not operate.

Beginning Wednesday, March 18, the district will move to virtual instruction via the Morris School District Virtual Learning Hub.

"These are indeed unprecedented circumstances, but as we have done in the past, we will learn together and create the conditions to ensure that our children and our community are healthy and successful," Pendergrast said.

Counting the new cases Thursday, there have been 29 people diagnosed with presumptive positive cases of COVID-19 in New Jersey as of Thursday afternoon, with one person dying from the disease. Gov. Phil Murphy has declared a state of emergency, and schools across the state have begun to cancel classes. READ MORE: NJ Coronavirus Updates (Here's What You Need To Know)In general – depending on where they live – New Jersey residents still face a "low risk" of contracting COVID-19, State Epidemiologist Christina Tan said during a Wednesday press conference.

There have been more than 1,300 confirmed U.S. cases of the new coronavirus as of Thursday morning according to Johns Hopkins University, which said the disease also has killed 38 people nationwide.

• See related article: $8B To Fight Coronavirus; NJ Lawmakers Back Huge Spending Bill

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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