The School Without Walls High School in Northwest D.C. and The District of Columbia International School will be closed Monday.
The School Without Walls High School closed after a staff member came in contact with a patient who ended up testing positive for coronavirus (COVID-19).
On Saturday, March 8, a man who ended up staying the night in a D.C. residence, presented himself to a Maryland hospital before testing positive for the virus.
Based on an investigation by DC Health, three individuals who stayed in the same residence as the man, who is referred to as Patient 2, were tested for the virus. Their tests turned out to be negative.
One of those three individuals was discovered to be an employee at the high school. She continues to be asymptomatic.
This is the first school in the D.C. area to announce a closure since a total of nine cases were discovered in Virginia, Maryland and D.C.
To give the school’s administration enough time to communicate with staff members and families, the school decided to close Monday. Out of caution, the school will also undergo a deep disinfection before students and staff return.
The District of Columbia International School also closed Monday morning for “a deep cleaning of surfaces.”
There is no word on if any student or staff from that school came into contact with the virus.
