Following an initial declaration Thursday to remain open, Poway Unified School District announced Friday morning all schools will be closed to students for three weeks.

Supt. Marian Kim Phelps sent a message out to the families of PUSD’s more than 36,000 students about the closure, which will begin on Monday and last for three weeks. School is intended to resume on Monday, April 6, Phelps said, unless conditions call for an extension.

The district’s Spring Break, originally scheduled for April 13 to 17, will be moved to fall during the three-week closure.

Phelps said in the letter the decision to close came after a “long and careful deliberation and out of an abundance of caution” and said it was made in consultation with local public health officials.

Nearly all school districts in San Diego County have made the decision to close for the next few weeks, Phelps said. Closing is a precaution as there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19, the official name for the novel coronavirus.

“We are facing an unprecedented health crisis in our community, and new information is surfacing by the hour. It is likely San Diego County will see more cases of COVID-19 in the coming weeks and months and this will require a measured, sustained response. At this time, there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 within the Poway Unified school community,” Phelps said.

While the schools are closed to students, staff will continue to report to work and will be provided further instructions.

“During this closure, students should stay home and minimize social contact as much as possible. Children have not been shown to be a high-risk group for serious illness from this virus. However, they can transmit the virus to those most vulnerable,” Phelps said.

The district is exploring with community partners how to support students and families during the closure, especially those who rely on attending school for food or those who would otherwise need childcare.

“We are considering setting up ways to continue to provide meals for our students who rely on them. We are setting up distance learning options and will be working on training and disseminating lessons. We are considering what, if any, childcare options we can extend to families over the next few weeks during this unprecedented closure,” Phelps said.

On Thursday, the district had announced it would remain open, but would be following the state guidelines about large gatherings.

Updates on how COVID-19 is affecting the district can be found on district social media, as well as at tinyurl.com/PUSDcoronavirus.