The following is a press release.
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NATICK – We have been working over the past week to deal with the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, and its impact on our community and appreciate your patience as we managed this rapidly changing situation.
A joint board meeting with the Natick School Committee, Selectboard of Natick, and Board of Health will occur tonight, March 12, 2020, at 7 p.m.
The reason for this information about town, community and school closures is due to:
- additional cases of parental and community adult presumptive positive COVID-19 diagnoses in our town, and in the schools
- additional individuals in self-quarantine (not diagnosed) in the community and neighboring communities, including school personnel
- the heightened regional risk of cross-contamination from outside the community (cases identified in Wellesley and Framingham with links to Natick residents),
- the larger MetroWest community linking together in developing strategies for combating the further spread of this virus.
This action, as part of a town-wide and regional strategy, will be most effective with the help and cooperation of the community.
Rather than focusing on swiftly and solely closing our schools—and having our student population in the community without isolation strategies and coordination with other partners— we have been working collectively with other towns and regions to develop a more comprehensive strategy to bring a faster result in keeping more people safe.
School and School Program Closures
After managing what the Department of Public Health identified as a low-risk environment in our community over the past 4 days, in partnership with the Natick Board of Health and the Town of Natick (and as part of a town-wide risk-mitigation strategy) we have made the decision to close all Natick schools for at least a week—starting tomorrow, Friday, March 13th, through Friday, March 20th—with the possibility to extend to two weeks through Friday, March 27th.
This closure includes all sports practices and try-outs.
High school interns in the capstone program should NOT report to their internship.
School days will be made up, in the same fashion as snow days, in late June.
A status update will be distributed to families on Friday, March 20, 2020.
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Out of district special education students: If you’re out of district school is open, school will be in session for you as scheduled and transportation will be provided. Please look for notices from your specific school for up to date information.
Please know that we have provided guidance below for residents, families and students, and staff to help in practicing social isolating, monitoring symptoms, and avoiding typical student events and large gatherings during this possible two week period. The intent is to isolate and therein calm the spread of the virus. If you do not assist us in this manner, we may be staying out of school for no effective result. This is town-wide public health strategy to reduce community illness, please take our requests seriously.
Food Support for Students: We have worked with food services to develop essential services for students experiencing food scarcity and food insecurity to have access to food stations (during this closure) that will comply with social isolation expectations but still allow kids to eat. Hours for pick up are 8-11 at the back of NHS, starting Monday, March 16th. Contact the food pantry if you cannot make it to this location. Boston resident students will be able to access the city’s food resources: https://www.boston.gov/departments/food-access.
Enrichment During Closure: Optional enrichment activities for younger students related to skill-building at home are available here:
These experiences are not mandatory and are not considered instruction.
In the interest of ensuring equity of access, we are not allowed to provide any digital or remote learning opportunities to replace in-person teaching during this closure, per the MA Commissioner of Education.
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Previously Scheduled Activities: While we know it is disappointing that activities are not occurring and key activities, such as the SAT, are postponed while community health is being prioritized. We are working to reschedule things wherever possible in the coming weeks.
We understand that there will be questions about AP classes, college application deadlines, prom and other special events but we cannot yet answer this at this time.
The MIAA (Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association) has moved spring sports start to the earliest March 30, 2020.
School Employee Information
It is expected that all staff will check work email during this closure to remain informed.
During this closure, schools will be cleaned and disinfected using deeper disinfection equipment. Custodial staff will be asked to report to the schools to handle these activities.
Unless the Town Administration closes Town Hall, in the interest of business continuity, NPS Central Office will be open and the following essential personnel may be called to work during the closure: principals, central office administrative assistants, central office payroll clerks, bookkeeper/accounts payable, central office administrators, transportation coordinator, central office directors, executive assistant to the superintendent, and technology and digital learning staff as determined by the Directors of Technology and Digital Learning.
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Town and School Building Closures
Consistent with the decision made for school buildings, the Town has determined that all rental use of Town facilities, public-at-large use of the facilities, and evening and community events in our facilities have been canceled, effective immediately and until further notice.
In addition, the following guidance is being issued for the following:
All essential services will be closed at night and on weekends for the foreseeable future, with updated information to be provided on the Town website.
Town Libraries: Out of an abundance of caution, we are closing all library locations—the Morse Institute Library and Bacon Free Library—and canceling all classes, programs, meetings and events for the foreseeable future. Instructions about essential services regarding book return and library pick-up service will be provided.
Community Senior Center:
In the wake of the growing concerns with the coronavirus and additional guidance issued by the CDC and State of Massachusetts, the Community Senior Center (CSC) is suspending all programs and services until further notice. The CSC serves residents who are most at risk of contracting the virus. This is a proactive step to protect the patrons of the CSC. Staff of the CSC are working and available during regular business hours to provide alternative arrangements for seniors who need access to important services. For questions, call 508-647-6540.
Natick Recreation & Teen Center: All programs have been postponed indefinitely; Cole Center is closed. Details of specific program information will be emailed directly to participants.
School Facility Use: As stated in our March 11, 2020 community update, all rental use of all school facilities, public-at-large use of the facilities, and evening and community events in our facilities have been canceled, effective immediately and until further notice.
Town Employee Information
Information for Town personnel will be forthcoming from town administrators via email.
Community Health & Prevention
When a new illness is circulating, it’s natural for people to ask what they can do to protect themselves and their families. For our community health actions to be effective, we need all community members to do their part by staying at home as much as possible during the school closure. Our best prevention guidance is:
- Avoid large social gatherings
- Cover coughs/sneezes with tissues, or cough/sneeze into the inner elbow.
- Practice good handwashing with soap and water as often as possible
- Practice social isolation—only leaving home as necessary
- Use alcohol-based hand sanitizers ONLY if soap and water are not available.
What We Know About COVID-19: The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is a strain that is part of a large family of coronaviruses which usually cause mild respiratory illnesses, such as the ‘common cold’.
Some coronaviruses have caused more severe illness, such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). COVID-19 is a disease caused by a new coronavirus that was not previously identified in humans before December 2019.
Quarantine and Isolation: Patients with COVID-19 have had mild to severe respiratory illness with symptoms of fever, cough, and shortness of breath. It can take between 2 to 14 days after a person gets the virus in their body to become (outwardly) ill.
If you think you have been exposed to COVID-19, and develop a fever and symptoms of respiratory illness, such as cough or difficulty breathing, call your healthcare provider immediately. Your healthcare provider can assess whether a test for COVID-19 is required. Depending on your contact and/or travel history, you will be asked to stay home for a period of 14 days from the time you had contact with a positive or presumptive positive person.
During the isolation period, you should not have visitors in the location where you are isolating. If you must share living quarters with another person, then that person will be subject to quarantine as well.
As noted above, we are asking students not to congregate and to remain as isolated as possible within their families as they can so assist in slowing the virus spread.
Follow-up and Next Steps
This is an unprecedented public health situation that is rapidly changing. Our hope is that if we all work together, we can reduce the spread of this virus, protect our most vulnerable residents, and resume normal activities in a week or two.
A status update regarding school closures will be distributed to families on Friday, March 20, 2020. Further details on the town department closures will be shared with residents through the Town website: https://www.natickma.gov/1691/Coronavirus-Information.
We encourage everyone to visit the joint NPS/Town of Natick COVID-19 page (http://www.natickps.org/news/covid19_updates) for more information about COVID-19, with links to official public health resources: MA DPH and CDC.
We will keep you informed of any additional changes in operation as this rapidly evolving public health situation continues.
Mr. Jim White, Director of Public Health, Natick
Mrs. Melissa Malone, Town Administrator, Natick
Dr. Anna Nolin, Superintendent of Schools, Natick
Mr. James Hicks, Chief of Police, Natick
Mr. Bill Chenard, Deputy Town Administrator, Natick
Mr. John Townsend, Deputy Town Administrator, Natick
The School Committee, The Board of Health, and The Selectboard of Natick
MetroWest Medical Center