SPRINGFIELD — Mayor Domenic J. Sarno declared a state of emergency Friday and announced the temporary closing of the city’s public schools as a measure against the spread of the new coronavirus.

“This declaration not only gives me sweeping powers, but more importantly avails our city and schools to all federal and state relief and recovery assistance needed,” Sarno said in a statement.

The shutdown of the schools, in effect through March 27, affects 26,000 students and 4,000 employees working in roughly 60 buildings.

“We have kept our schools open for as long as we believe has been possible, as recommended by state and local public health authorities," said Superintendent Daniel Warwick. “We know that in addition to education, schools provide vital support to our communities and that closure will have a major impact on our families.”

Warwick said officials understand the closure “will create a hardship for many families,” and said “further information and guidance will be forthcoming.”

The action by the city’s School Department comes as the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education issued a series of guidelines aimed at safeguarding students, teachers and staff.

The new state education policy includes: “All schools must cancel or reschedule large assemblies of 250 people or more for the foreseeable future. Schools are strongly urged to limit other gatherings with fewer than 250 individuals and instances where students, staff and others are less than 6 feet apart from one another.”

On Monday, the school system announced it was ending buffet-style meals in school cafeterias as precaution for COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus.

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