NJ Governor (for now) appears to be allowing school districts to make their own decisions, seemingly to allow for one more day (or half day) for students to pick up textbooks and work packets. Two districts recently closed in my area, including the district my kids attended. Also...
Movie theaters and malls in hard-hit Bergen County are planning to close amid the new coronavirus outbreak as officials remind parents that school closures are not a time for children to socialize.
More 350 public school districts
have canceled classes at least for a few days or moved their learning online for at least a week.
Gov. Phil Murphy said on Friday it's a matter of "when, and not an if" New Jersey will order all public schools closed. Officials in Bergen, Burlington and Hunterdon counties have already shut all their public schools. The Archdiocese of Newark and the Diocese of Trenton also have closed their Catholic schools.
**The purpose of the closures is to encourage social distancing and slow the spread of COVID-19 among students and staff who spend their days in close quarters.
**"Social distancing can be very effective but you have to do it properly," said Ocean County Health Coordinator Dan Regyne. "It's not playtime. It doesn't mean that while I'm off from school for two weeks it's like a snow day where you're getting together with friends to go sledding. The weather is nicer but we don't need people going out into the community and going to the mall and bowling alleys and the movie theaters."
**BM
'It's not playtime:' Outbreak closes NJ schools — and malls, movie theaters