Coronavirus Update: Nassau County, Suffolk County Close Schools For 2 Weeks
LONG ISLAND, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- All schools on Long Island are being shut down for two weeks due to coronavirus concerns, officials announced Sunday.
Nassau County Executive Laura Curran and Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone said all public schools and private K-12 would be closed, starting Monday.
Administrators, teachers and staffers can be in and out of schools as they will be open for them to conduct distance learning and to let teachers do lesson plans.
"There is evidence that the virus is already present in many communities we serve, and our efforts now must be aimed at preventing its spread. As part of our larger social distancing efforts, we believe that closing schools is the right thing to do at this time," Bellone said.
There will also be a temporary grab-and-go meal program established at the schools during the closure.
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Officials remain concerned about maintaining social distance during the school shutdown.
"This is a time, parents, you've got to do your job making sure your kids are maintaining that social distance," Curran said. "Parents will have to step up and keep kids from gathering."
More than 300 people in Nassau County are in mandatory quarantine, and big events in the county have been canceled due to coronavirus concerns.
There are currently 90 confirmed cases in Nassau County, with 314 quarantines, 18 hospitalized and two people in critical condition.
WATCH: Nassau County Executive Laura Curran Sunday Update On COVID-19
Students were among the quickest messengers of the orders keeping them away from all Long Island K-12 public and private schools for two weeks.
Haley Kaveney told her dad, Josh, at the beginning of a Sunday outing at Eisenhower Park that she must avoid Division Avenue High School in Levittown, where she's in the 11th grade.
"I didn't want it, really, for a whole two weeks, but like I was expecting it," Haley told CBS2's Dave Carlin.
"Not ideal at all. It's not even ideal for them to be out of school for two weeks, I would say," Josh Kaveney said.
He's in law enforcement and cannot work from home, but said it helps that his wife has that option. A challenge, he said, will be keeping kids away from crowds.
"We don't want large gatherings because that would enhance the spread right now," Josh Kaveney said.
Curran said she knows parents will be inconvenienced and that some students will lose more than the structure of their normal school days -- their nutrition could also suffer.
"The first consequence that will come to mind to many, food access. A lot of our kids are dependent on school breakfast and lunch, so we are working with our school districts to make sure all students who qualify for reduced or free meals continue to receive them through a grab-and-go program," Curran said.
Schools will focus on distance learning via the internet. Long Island leaders said they want the state to step in with extra financial help and child care for health care workers who have kids.
Now that officials have crossed the threshold of closing schools, they're reminding everyone that although it will be tough, it will be temporary.
Nassau officials also said eviction notices would be suspended during the COVID-19 outbreak.
On Jones Beach on Sunday, runners who would have taken part in the now-canceled New York City Half Marathon say they'll gather to run their own version of the race.
"Twenty of us are going to meet here," said Ronkonkoma resident Thadd Nelson. "We're going to run on the trail here, run the same distance just to sort of make up for it."
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"You can continue to enjoy our parks, go outside get some fresh air get some exercise," Curran said.
Jones Beach is being considered as a possible second drive-thru virus testing site. New Rochelle was the first in New York State.
On Saturday, the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum was supposed to have been full of people attending the Jurassic World Live Tour, but it was called off.
