Coronavirus outbreak

Seattle shuts down schools for 53,000 students

The school system’s statement issued Wednesday did not say how long the closure would last.

Associated Press

The Seattle Public School system will close due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, which prompted the governor to ban all events and gatherings of more than 250 people in Seattle’s metro area.

The closure announced by Seattle Public Schools in a statement affects about 53,000 students and came after Gov. Jay Inslee made his announcement about events and gatherings.

The school system’s statement issued Wednesday said starting Thursday, March 12, Seattle Public Schools will be closed for a minimum of 14 days.

The closure includes all school building activities including school day instruction, childcare, preschool, athletics and sports, health services and enrichment.

The Seattle district’s closure comes after the Northshore School District in Bothell, with 22,000 students, closed schools and started using online lessons.

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