Monroe schools closed Thursday for sanitization, coronavirus preparations

MONROE, Wash. -- The Monroe School District says all schools will be closed to students Thursday, March 5 for sanitization and possible coronavirus preparations.

Though there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the district, Monroe Superintendent Dr. Fredrika Smith said in a letter to families earlier Wednesday that two students at Fryelands Elementary were possibly exposed to the virus last week and became ill over the weekend.

They did not attend school this week, Smith said.

"With a possible exposure and symptoms present, both students have been tested for the coronavirus and are awaiting results," the letter reads.

The students have older siblings who attend Hidden River Middle and Monroe High schools. Smith said they do not currently have any symptoms but were also being kept out of school as a precaution.

The district said that Monroe School staff should still report to work as usual on Thursday unless they fall into a high-risk category for exposure to COVID-19. Those categories include people:

"We will be using to clean buildings and buses and give our staff contingency planning time," a statement on Monroe School District's website reads.

Northshore School District also announced that it would be closing all schools on Thursday for up to 14 days amid coronavirus concerns.

COVID-19 has killed at least 10 people in Washington state, according to health officials. More than 3,200 have died globally from the outbreak. There are now over 94,000 global cases, with infections in more than 70 countries and territories.