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Riverside County Public Health Officer Dr. Cameron Kaiser has ordered the closure of all Riverside County public schools, as well as preschools, charter schools, private schools and all colleges and universities in the county, to reduce the spread of the coronavirus.

The order will be lifted April 3 and classes will resume on April 6, unless another update is warranted before that time, Kaiser said in a statement issued Friday afternoon.

Kaiser announced the order Friday evening, as the county reported four new cases of COVID-19, all in the Coachella Valley, bringing the county's case total to 12.

Also on Friday afternoon, College of the Desert trustees unanimously adopted a state of emergency proclamation, which authorizes president and superintendent Dr. Joel Kinnamon to take any and all actions necessary to ensure the continuation of education while protecting the health and safety of school students and staff.

“The information from public health officials regarding the (coronavirus) is changing rapidly and we are doing everything we can to be responsive and proactive; including canceling all athletic events and gatherings over 250 attendees, as well as making preparations to move some of our classroom courses to online effective March 16th," Kinnamon said in a statement.

No College of the Desert students or employees have tested positive for COVID-19, according to a news release.

Mother: 'I can't bring her to the office'

Earlier in the day, the Palm Springs Unified School District announced it was beginning a two-week spring break on Monday, as the state and country tries to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

"We will be taking the coming days to assess the situation and develop contingency plans for the continuity of learning should a determination be made that a closure beyond the two weeks be necessary," superintendent Sandra Lyon said in a message to parents on Friday afternoon.

Student meals will be available at pick up locations during spring break, she said.

While picking up his first and fourth graders from Cahuilla Elementary School in Palm Springs on Friday, Justin Hagger called the district’s decision to close schools “over the top.”

“I do think it’s a little early,” said Hagger, a Sky Valley resident. “There’s only a few cases locally.”

Hagger noted that he had seen businesses, including his workplace, High Life Farms, stepping up their cleaning regimens. He said the longer school closure wouldn’t have a great impact on his family, because his wife would be able to be home with their kids.

Palm Springs resident Sacha Burt is worried she will have to take time off work to care for her daughter, Skylar, a kindergartner at Cahuilla Elementary School. She usually takes her daughter to the city’s after-school program, and isn’t sure if it will stay open because of all of the closures due to coronavirus concerns. That was her next stop after picking her daughter up from school on Friday.

“I do have family here but I may have to miss out on work,” said Burt, who works at Escrow Professionals. “I can’t bring her to the office. ... I’m a single mom so it would be hard, to not work.”

Desert Sands offers grab-and-go meals

Along with suspending classes, Desert Sands Unified is also canceling childcare, health services and enrichment until further notice, the district said in a statement Friday afternoon.

"We know that closing our schools will impact our most vulnerable families and we recognize that working families depend on the consistency and predictability of supports and services our schools offer," the district said. "We are working with partners and the local cities to determine how to best mitigate the impact closing schools will have on working families."

The district said it would implement an emergency food plan beginning Monday. It will be offering all students "grab-and-go" cold meals, for both breakfast and lunch, Monday through Friday.

Meal pick-up locations include:

Shadow Hills High School: Serving student populations of Shadow Hills High and Desert Ridge Academy, 10-10:20 a.m.

Lyndon B. Johnson Elementary School: Serving student population of Lyndon B. Johnson, Carrillo Ranch and John Kennedy elementary schools, and Indio Middle School, 11-11:20 a.m.

Indio High School: Serving student populations of Indio High, James Madison Elementary School and Dr. Reynaldo Carreon Jr. Academy, 10-10:20 a.m.

Martin Van Buren Elementary School: Serving student population of Martin Van Buren and Theodore Roosevelt elementary schools, and Thomas Jefferson Middle School, 10:30-10:50 a.m.

Benjamin Franklin Elementary School: Serving student population of Benjamin Franklin and Harry Truman elementary schools, Adams Early Childhood Learning Center and La Quinta Middle School, 11:15-11:35 a.m.

Palm Desert Charter Middle School: Serving student populations of Palm Desert Charter Middle, James Carter, Abraham Lincoln, and George Washington Charter elementary schools, and Palm Desert High School, 10-10:20 a.m.

Colonel Mitchell Paige Middle School: Serving student populations of Colonel Mitchell Paige Middle School, Summit High School, Gerald Ford, and James Monroe and Ronald Reagan elementary schools, 10:45-11:05 a.m.

La Quinta High School: Serving student populations of La Quinta High School, John Glenn Middle School, Amelia Earhart Elementary School, 11:15 - 11:35 a.m.

Palm Springs Unified

The district announced Friday night that student meals will be given to all children during the closures. Students don't need to be enrolled in order to receive the meals, according to the district.

Breakfast and lunch can be picked up at all school bus stops. Buses will bring them at regularly scheduled morning stops Monday through Friday.

Meals can also be picked up between 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at the following locations: Cathedral City High School, Palm Springs High School, James Workman Middle School, Raymond Cree Middle School, Landau Elementary School, Cielo Vista Charter School, Agua Caliente Elementary School, Cahuilla Elementary School, Desert Springs Middle School, Bella Vista Elementary School, Bubbling Wells Elementary School, Julius Corsini Elementary School, Rancho Mirage Elementary School and Della S. Lindley Elementary School.

Coachella Valley Unified

In a letter to parents Friday afternoon, Coachella Valley Unified superintendent Dr. Maria Gandera said closing the school was "a difficult decision, but necessary, as we try to slow the spread of the virus."

"The closing of any school has real consequences beyond the loss of instructional time," she said. "This is not an easy decision and not one we take lightly."

She said students were sent home with learning plans. Parents can go to their schools on Monday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to pick up plans, if their children didn't receive them.

She said the district is working to determine how to provide student meals over the next three weeks. She urged parents to check the district's website and social media accounts for further information.

Other school districts

Morongo Unified school officials voted unanimously Friday night to close all schools through March 20. The district said it expected the closure to be extended.

Copper Mountain College in Joshua Tree is suspending classes through March 21 and attempting to transition to remote classes. After spring break ends on March 29, most classes will be remote until further notice.

Los Angeles Unified school officials voted Friday to shut down the school system effective Monday, due to concerns about the rapid spread of the coronavirus, according to the LA Times.

The district’s 900 campuses, which serve more than 670,000 children and adult students, will be closed for two weeks while the situation is evaluated, the Times reported. There will be 40 centers where students and families can receive services, including meals, starting on Wednesday.

Effective Monday, the Murrieta Valley district preschools, schools and programs are also closed until further notice, according to a message on the district website. The district said it is developing plans for a distance learning program.

"This is a difficult decision but necessary, as our nation tries to slow the spread of the virus," the district said. "These are uncharted waters and we appreciate your patience and understanding as we navigate through this situation."