Perkiomen Valley School District Shut Down Due To Coronavirus

PERKIOMEN VALLEY, PA — The Perkiomen Valley School District is shutting down for several days due to concerns over the new coronavirus, the school said Thursday.

All classes and events are canceled from Friday, March 13 through Tuesday, March 17. The decision comes a day after the district learned that a parent of a student in the district has tested positive for coronavirus.

The infected individual is the Lower Providence Township police officer, a 35-year-old man, who was announced as one of the positive cases in Montgomery County on Wednesday. The officers does not require hospitalization and is in self-isolation at home.

>>Montgomery County Coronavirus Cases Rise To 13

In a statement, Perkiomen Valley said they "have no reason to believe this individual visited our schools while symptomatic." The county is working to trace all individuals with whom he may have had contact.

In addition, Perkiomen Valley has canceled the Disney World trip for high school seniors and the Quebec trip for 8th grade French students. The district said they are working on ways to reschedule the trips, and other events that have been canceled like the PVMS West Musical, and art and book fair events.

It's not the first connection to coronavirus within the district. On Monday, it was discovered a parent and a child at Skippack Elementary School were exposed to a doctor at CHOP who has the virus. They both went into self-quarantine, along with dozens of others. The doctor is in critical condition at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

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As of Thursday, the district tentatively plans to reopen on Wednesday, March 18. The closure is a preventative measure.

"Today’s decision is based on a review of recommendations and information being shared by our county, state­ and federal agencies, which are all advocating at this time for self-isolation and the cancelation of large-group gatherings," the district said. "We want to do our part to mitigate the spread of disease."

New school closures in Montgomery County Thursday include Wissahickon's announcement that they will dismiss early Friday, and Manor College's decision to close campus for two weeks.

The National Basketball Association announced Wednesday night it is suspending the season indefinitely after a multiple players tested positive for the virus.

PA Coronavirus Updates: Cases Up, Colleges Close, Events Canceled