Schools
Long Beach Schools Closed Next Week Over Coronavirus Concerns
"We make this decision to close with the belief that we may literally be saving lives by doing so," the superintendent wrote.
LONG BEACH, NY — In the face of the continuing spread of the new coronavirus, the Long Beach School District announced that it will be closing all schools next week. Though there are still no positive cases linked to the school district, the district is taking the step out of an abundance of caution.
Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Gallagher made the announcement Friday afternoon. All schools will be closed next week, from March 16 through 20. The situation will be reassessed at the end of next week, Gallagher said, and the closure may be extended.
"We are closing schools based on the premise that 'social isolation' is the one thing that we can do proactively to prevent the spread of this virus and keep our community safe," Gallagher wrote in a letter to families. "A respected local physician told me that he believes that closing our schools may mean the difference between a major outbreak and a minor one on our barrier island."
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Students in kindergarten through fifth grade will be given materials and resources for their work. Teachers for higher grades are working on putting together online resources so students can continue to learn during the closure.
The district will not be transporting students to any private schools or out-of-district areas, Gallagher said.
Find out what's happening in Long Beachfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
However, the district will still be arranging meals for children who need them. Students who qualify for free or reduced lunch will be able to get breakfast and lunch at the Long Beach Recreation center, St. Mary's Church and St. Ignatius Church from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. for breakfast, and 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for lunch.
"We know that this creates a difficult situation for many parents," Gallagher wrote. "We make this decision to close with the belief that we may literally be saving lives by doing so. I will be communicating via our website and Facebook pages nearly every day next week to keep you up to date on the latest information."
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As of Thursday afternoon, there were 421 positive cases of COVID-19 in the state, 51 of those in Nassau County. There have been no deaths in New York.
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