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Just shut it down: Arlington, Bedford, Belmont, Brookline, Burlington, Cambridge, Danvers, Everett, Lexington, Malden, Newton, Salem, Somerville and Winchester all closing schools

Everett announced a 30-day shutdown for its schools, while Arlington, Bedford, Belmont, Burlington, Lexington and Winchester said they are closing their schools for at least two weeks.

Newton is closing its schools until at least March 20. Somerville, which had already announced a shutdown through the weekend, said today it's closing its schools for two weeks starting Monday.

Brookline and Cambridge are closing their schools through March 27.

Malden is closing its schools tomorrow but has yet to decide for how long.

Danvers schools are closed through March 20.

Mount Alvernia High School will have a half day tomorrow, then teach classes remotely next week.

Salem closed schools early today and they will be closed tomorrow as well.

In a statement, officials in Arlington, Bedford, Belmont, Burlington, Lexington and Winchester noted they have collectively had several cases linked to that Biogen meeting:

Our decision has been informed by our local boards of health, as well by expert epidemiologists who recognize that the time to act is now. We know we can have a greater and more positive impact on public health and safety if we do this together.

Many in our area have been particularly impacted due to our families who have a greater number of presumptive positive cases in the area. Please be aware that this school closure period of time may be extended or shortened should State authorities so direct.

Separately, Everett announced two-week closures for City Hall, the senior center and the public library.


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Comments

When they would read off the school closings.

Abington, Acton, etc.

Except for weeks, not hours.

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Somerville too, for at least 2 weeks.

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as well as all other city-owned buildings.

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True true, thanks. Just school-focused 'cause we're trying to figure out what to do with the kids so we can still get work done but aren't relying too much on the electronic babysitter.

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So long as these decisions can be dumped on people who aren't trained to cope with them, much easier for Charlie the Unicorn and the Great and Cowardly Court to sit back on their asses and worry about their poll numbers rather than decisively support public health or finding ways for the state to support working people who can't phone it in or have to care for their kids.

Amazing how much their "decision support guidelines" reek of "don't blame us we are covering our asses!".

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I teach in Chelsea. 5 minutes before school ended they told us we were closed tomorrow and after school activities were cancelled. I was going to stop in and talk to my boss but the office door was locked and they were shooing people away. Left with my laptop but without grading.

They told us later it's preemptive, but we had a staff member go to Italy who wasn't feeling well and didn't say another, and another whose kids go to the Eliot.

This is not going to end well and we are woefully unprepared for this.

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I don't see anything on the city's web site or on the public school website?

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My daughter's ballet school goes according to NPS and we got emails today confirming the shutdown

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for tomorrow, will evaluate over the weekend to determine if schools will stay closed longer.

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Got an email saying our kid's school would stay open unless there's exposure from a confirmed case. But hardly anyone is getting tested. So isn't it too late at that point?

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Since yesterday on this petition to close BPS.

https://www.change.org/p/students-closure-of-schools-online-classes

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It would be much too late at that point.

It's nearly impossible to believe that not a single BPS parent works at the Marriott Long Wharf, given the number of BPS schools and students. Staff there are just as vulnerable to getting COVID-19 (if not more, since they can't telecommute and have been there until today's announced shutdown) as the Biogen conference attendees. Based on this, I think it's safe to say that there are definitely presumptive cases among BPS families by this point...

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I agree. Are Boston lives less valuable? I don’t understand why we are picking and choosing what is canceled and what goes on.

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Two week hiatus.

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Just announced. Closed through 3/27/2020

Boston, we're looking at you...

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Source?

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Pfft. It could be a prediction of a 3 foot blizzard & they won't. Then the next snow if there's a predicted 5 inches they shut it down. They are completely ass backwards. I just use my own discretion.

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Cambridge just called it off after tomorrow:

Dear CPS Community:

Cambridge Public Schools will close at the end of the school day on Friday, March 13. Schools will remain closed through Friday, March 27. During that period, the decision will be revisited to determine if the closure will be extended.

This additional school day will allow students to say a temporary good-bye and allow schools to provide nutritional support through the Cambridge Weekend Backpack Program that occurs on Fridays. More information will follow, including plans for supporting student learning during this closure and additional details for CPS staff. As always, we respect and will excuse any absences among families who choose to keep their children home tomorrow.

For your information, as of Thursday afternoon, we are unaware of any confirmed COVID-19 cases among CPS staff or students. It is the hope of all involved that this closure, which was decided in consultation with local officials, will help prevent the spread of this virus.

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Xaverian closed tomorrow to prep for possible distance learning next week.

(And their gala cancelled on Saturday night.)

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Dear Watertown families,

We have made the decision to close all Watertown Public Schools for two weeks starting tomorrow, Friday, March 13th. Schools will remain closed through Friday, March 27th.

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... is that a lot of them are for just two weeks.

Given the time frame for testing and the speed of spread see in other countries, in two weeks, we'll just be getting into mandatory regional shut-downs. I think Boston area kids will all be out for a month at least.

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But you are right that we are nowhere close to the peak on this.

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Yeah, the two weeks is a minimum number. Our district is using the time (and has already been working at it) to figure out some amount of remote class instruction. Unfortunately that doesn't work for the early grades. How do you do kindergarten online?

But... gotta deal with the hand we've been dealt.

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