BREAKING: Central Bucks School District Closes Five Schools After Coronavirus Exposure

Five schools in the Central Bucks School District will be closed today (March 6) after they learned of possible exposure to a coronavirus case, which originated out of state. They stress, however, that as of Friday there have been NO confirmed cases of the virus within the school district.

School officials say they were made aware late Thursday night that “individuals within the district were exposed to the case.”

The district consulted with health authorities, and they say out of an abundance of caution that they’ve decided to close five schools today to all staff and students.

The closed schools are:

• Butler Elementary School
• Central Bucks South High School
• Titus Elementary School
• Tohickon Middle School
• Tamanend Middle School

The district's superintendent, John J. Kopicki, said that school officials were informed by state health officials late Thursday that members of the school district were exposed to a confirmed case of the coronavirus that originated in another state.

Officials say this person attended a recent private gathering at a residence in central Bucks County. The exact location of that gathering was not clear, but nobody knew at the time that the out-of-state guest was ill (including that person) at the time, officials say.

"At this moment, we understand that these Central Bucks community members have had contact with Butler Elementary School, Titus Elementary School, Tamanend Middle School, Tohickon Middle School, and Central Bucks South High School," Kopicki wrote.

The Bucks County Health Department is currently evaluating these individuals to determine when they may return to school, the district says.

They also emphasize there have been NO KNOWN OR REPORTED cases of the virus in the Central Bucks School district or Bucks County.

"Out of an abundance of caution, I have decided to close the above schools Friday, March 6, 2020 to perform deep cleaning of all impacted facilities," Kopicki says.

The district remains in contact with both the Bucks County Health Department and the Pennsylvania Department of Health, and they will have any updates as they're warranted.

As a reminder, the CDC is recommending everyday preventive actions to help prevent the spread of respiratory diseases, including:

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.

You can visit the CDC's website for more information on the virus.