'I Was Shocked': Cheltenham School District Closed For Remainder Of Week After Parent In District Possibly Exposed To Coronavirus
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Pa. (CBS) -- The Cheltenham School District announced Monday that all of its schools and buildings will be closed through Friday, March 13, after administrators learned that a parent was a caregiver to a patient with a presumptive case of coronavirus. Officials say the parent has self-quarantined herself and her child.
"I was shocked. I honestly thought it was a prank or something," Cheltenham High School senior Faaizah Al-ahed said.
"This decision was reached in consultation with the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services and made out of an abundance of caution. As of this afternoon, there are only five confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Montgomery County, none in the Cheltenham School District," officials said in a statement.
"Somebody screamed out that school's been canceled. I didn't believe them at first but I looked at my phone and we got the email," sophomore Corey Redeross said.
In addition to this decision, the school district also announced that all field trips have been canceled until students return from spring break on Monday, April 13.
Custodial staff will deep clean all seven schools and the administration building. Eyewitness News received mixed reactions from students.
"We're happy, I love it! We don't have no school," one student said.
"It's scary because you never know who can get it," Al-ahed said. "If I were to get it and I go home with my family and my family gets it, that's scary."
One parent says she's now forced to take her kids to work with her for the rest of the week, but she doesn't mind the inconvenience if it's for her children's safety.
"I'd rather them be proactive. It's a little bit to juggle but it'll be fine," Maureen Bradley said.
The four days students are out of school will be counted as snow days and will not count against the 180 days students are required to be in school.
A number of schools announced that they are closing for sanitizing out of an abundance of caution due to various connections to COVID-19 coronavirus cases.
CBS3' Kimberly Davis contributed to this report.