Updated coronavirus school closures in Puget Sound region

Following a handful of school closures to start the week, more closures have been announced Wednesday.

Over 10 schools are closed Wednesday in response to the coronavirus outbreak. In Snohomish County, Bothell’s Frank Love Elementary remains closed for its third straight day.

After confirming a student tested positive for coronavirus, Renton’s Hazen High School has opted to close for the rest of the week at the behest of King County Public Health.

A statement from the Renton School District reads:

While initially Public Health recommended that Hazen High remain open regardless of test results, they now recommend we close Hazen High School for the remainder of this week as they work to determine who, if anybody, came in contact with the ill student to ensure it is safe for students and staff to return to school.

All other Renton schools remain open on regular schedules.

After shutting down Tuesday, schools in the Northshore School District have reopened Wednesday (with the exception of Frank Love Elementary), but will be on an early release schedule for students.

March 4 will be a normal early release Wednesday for all schools with the exception of Frank Love Elementary, which remains closed. Today staff sharpened their blended learning skills and acquired new tools and strategies. https://t.co/oPW1iSJUja

— Northshore School District (@Northshore_SD) March 4, 2020

Eastside Preparatory in Kirkland has decided it doesn’t want to take any risks, shutting its doors through the rest of March and having its students attend class remotely.

Meanwhile, an online petition to close schools in the Lake Washington School District has drawn over 15,000 signatures. The district has many schools in Kirkland, the same location of the Life Care Center, believed to be ground zero for the virus.

There are 29 elementary schools within the district, eight middle schools, and four high schools. The district says custodial staff is cleaning daily “high frequency touch points” on campuses and on buses. Kirkland SDA/Puget Sound Adventist is closed Wednesday for cleaning.

A petition in Bellevue has drawn 10K signatures, another 4,800 in Issaquah, and 4,600 in Edmonds.

Over 1,900 parents have signed an online petition in Everett. A Jackson High School student is at home recovering from coronavirus. Snohomish County has reported six cases of coronavirus, including one death. Parents in Mukilteo are passing around a similar petition for their district — with over 4,000 signatures.

Over 20,000 University of Washington students have signed a petition to close the Seattle campus.

In part, the petition reads:

“We are asking Ana Mari Cauce, the president of the University of Washington Seattle to take the initiative and close the campus in order to stop the spread of this virus. Take advantage of technology, start online classes.”

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