By Christen Smith |
The Center Square
(The Center Square) – Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf closed all public schools Friday, just hours after health officials confirmed the state\’s first case of novel coronavirus diagnosed in a patient younger than 18.
The shutdown will last 10 business days through March 30, at which time Wolf said the state will reevaluate the situation.
“We understand that these are trying times and recognize the impact of the coronavirus on our students and communities,” he said. “First and foremost, my top priority as governor – and that of our education leaders – must be to ensure the health and safety of our students and school communities.”
Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said this is the first known pediatric case in the state, where so far 33 residents have tested positive for COVID-19. Of the 300 tested, 140 have come back negative and 130 more are pending, Levine said.
No other details were released about the pediatric patient, except that the case was from Monroe County. Thursday, the governor recommended statewide social distancing policies and shut down schools and public buildings in Montgomery County, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak. He expanded that mandate to all schools across Pennsylvania’s 67 counties Friday afternoon.
Schools will not be penalized for falling short of the 180-day instruction requirement, Wolf said. The Department of Education will provide breakfast and lunch to low-income students during the two-week closure.
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said children don’t appear as susceptible to the more severe symptoms of COVID-19, though it is unknown why.
So far, the CDC has confirmed 1,629 cases across 46 states and Washington D.C., with 41 reported deaths. Worldwide, more than 133,000 people have contracted the virus and nearly 5,000 have died.
published here by The Gloucestercitynews.net with permission of
The Center Square