Politics & Government
Arlington Closes Parks, Schools Shutdown: Coronavirus Updates
Arlington is closing all of its parks and facilities. It's also following Virginia Gov. Northam's mandate regarding school closures.
ARLINGTON, VA — Arlington County is continuing to expand its response to halt the spread of the new coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, by closing places where groups routinely gather across the county, including a parks and playgrounds. It's also following the mandate of Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam to close all schools for the rest of the academic year.
Arlington officially closed all of its parks, fields, playground, restrooms, tracks, dog parks, and athletic courts Tuesday, according to a county release. This order also includes similar facilities at Arlington Public Schools (APS). The county is asking residents to adhere to these restrictions. Signs will be posted at all affected locations.
In addition, the county's trails and gardens will be closed to groups. Those exercising or gardening are asked to do so alone in order to stop the spread of COVID-19.
Find out what's happening in Arlingtonfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The Department of Parks and Recreation will issue refunds for rentals and activities that have been canceled.
On Monday, Northam ordered K-12 schools, both public and private, to remain closed for the rest of the academic year in an attempt to minimize the spread of COVID-19. Northam originally ordered schools to close through this Friday.
Find out what's happening in Arlingtonfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
In a letter to APS families, interim Superintendent Cintia Z. Johnson confirmed that Arlington schools would be following the governor's directive.
"Our administrative teams have already begun the conversation of what the remainder of the 2020 school year will look like," she said, in the letter. "We all have questions and we are working diligently internally and with the Virginia Department of Education to get the answers. As we did with the first closure, we will share our plans with you very soon."
For the time being, APS will continue to provide its continuity of learning plans in place using Canvas, Seesaw and other platforms through April 3. No assignments will be issued during the week of spring break (April 6-10).
Related: Arlington Coronavirus Updates: Here's What You Need To Know
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