MCPS warns against spring break travel during pandemic

Montgomery County public school students in Maryland should hang tight before they hang 10 on a spring break trip during the coronavirus pandemic.

In a letter to parents, MCPS warned against nonessential travel and cited Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Maryland Department of Health guidelines.

“Travel increases your chance of getting and spreading COVID-19. The CDC recommends that you do not travel at this time. Delay travel and stay home to protect yourself and others from COVID-19,” the letter said.

It also said students who travel outside the D.C. area should get a coronavirus test within 72 hours of coming home and self-quarantine while they wait for the results.

“This guidance applies to spring break and any other travel a student may take during the school year and it also applies regardless of vaccination status. Please note that these protocols will be regularly reviewed and updated as federal and state health guidance changes. We are committed to providing updates when these changes take place,” the letter stated, adding that they understand the guidance could disrupt travel plans.

“However, we believe taking precautions like this can reduce and limit the possible spread of COVID-19 in our schools.”

Spring break for MCPS students is scheduled for March 29 to April 5.

Across the country, doctors and public health officials are issuing similar warnings, calling it the “perfect storm” for more COVID-19 infections.


More Coronavirus news

Looking for more information? D.C., Maryland and Virginia are each releasing more data every day. Visit their official sites here: Virginia | Maryland | D.C.

Will Vitka

William Vitka is a Digital Writer/Editor for WTOP.com. He's been in the news industry for over a decade. Before joining WTOP, he worked for CBS News, Stuff Magazine, The New York Post and wrote a variety of books—about a dozen of them, with more to come.

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