School closures: 7 students with respiratory illness at San Francisco elementary school

The exterior of the San Francisco Unified School District offices on Friday, March 13, 2020. The exterior of the San Francisco Unified School District offices on Friday, March 13, 2020. Photo: Doug Zimmerman/SFGATE Photo: Doug Zimmerman/SFGATE Image 1 of / 50 Caption Close School closures: 7 students with respiratory illness at San Francisco elementary school 1 / 50 Back to Gallery

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San Francisco Unified School District announced late Thursday afternoon that seven students from Glen Park Elementary reported respiratory illness.

While other schools in the district prepare for a three-week closure beginning Monday, Glen Park was shuttered immediately as the Department of Public Health begins an investigation of the situation.

The students will be tested for COVID-19, SFUSD said in a statement. There currently aren't any confirmed cases at the school.

"Based on current guidance from health experts, Glen Park families and staff are asked to self-quarantine, which means to stay home and monitor your health for 14 days. If you become sick, seek care from your medical provider," SFUSD said in a statement.

SFUSD's Lakeshore Elementary School is already closed. On March 12, four students and a number of adult family members reported having respiratory illness. They were being tested for COVID-19, but at the time of the announcement, there were no confirmed cases at Lakeshore.

In response to the potential cases in schools, the San Francisco Unified School District announced Thursday afternoon all schools will close for three weeks March 16 through April 6.

The three-week closure includes spring break (scheduled for the week of March 30). During the shutdown, SFUSD leaders and faculty are being told to work on ways to make learning safer during the global pandemic. Faculty will be asked to return to work starting March 23 to help prepare.

SFUSD Superintendent Dr. Vincent Matthews said the district will clean campuses and put preventive measures in place during the closure.

"The San Francisco Unified School District is taking the time to prepare school communities in the likelihood of a prolonged COVID-19 epidemic," he said.

The district serves over 55,000 students.

Students who qualify for free lunches will continue to have access to the program, district officials said. Details on how the food would be served were not immediately available.

As COVID-19 continues to spread around the Bay Area, schools are closing out of an abundance of caution.

On Tuesday, March 10, the Archdiocese of San Francisco announced all 90 of its Catholic schools in San Francisco, San Mateo and Marin counties would close for two weeks after a student tested positive for COVID-19.

Outside the Bay Area, Northern California's largest school district, Elk Grove Unified, announced it would close through March 13 after a family in the district tested positive for the virus.

The following schools in the Bay Area have announced closures:

(In most cases, all classes and on campus activities are canceled.)

ALAMEDA COUNTY

K-12:

All Berkeley Unified School District schools will be closed until at least April 5. All preschools, elementary and middle schools, as well as Berkeley Adult School, will be closed starting on March 16. All high schools will be closed starting March 13.

All Oakland USD schools and child development centers will close as of 6 p.m. Friday, the district announced. The closures will remain in effect through at least Sunday, April 5, the end of Spring Break.

Hayward Unified School District is closing all schools from Monday, March 16, through March 27, the superintendent announced Friday. Spring break has been moved up for both HUSD's year-round and traditional schools.

Schools in the New Haven Unified School District will be closed Monday, March 16 through its spring break. In-class lessons are scheduled to resume April 6.

San Leandro Unified School District schools will close Monday, March 16 through April 3, the district announced Friday.

Moreau Catholic High School in Hayward has temporarily instituted distance learning.

Dublin Unified School District has suspended all classes from March 16 through April 10.

Fremont Unified School District announced Friday it would suspend classes for two weeks beginning Monday, March 16.

Colleges and universities:

UC Berkeley is suspending most in-person classes as a precaution. Some classes, such as labs, performing arts and physical education, will still be allowed to meet in person, but instructors were encouraged to minimize in-person contact wherever possible. The changes were set to take effect March 10 and will last through the end of spring break on March 29. Administrators informed students and faculty via e-mail on March 9. Students were told to look for specific instructions from professors in the coming days. Campus will still be open, as will student housing and dining halls.

Chabot-Las Positas Community College District will move to online classes beginning March 16 (with some limited in-person classes).

Cal State East Bay is canceling classes from March 11-15. Classes will resume online starting March 16 through April 12, with a week break for spring break. Some labs and studios that are not possible to teach online will continue in-person instruction.

Oakland Holy Names University is moving all classes online for the time being, starting March 16.

Merritt College has canceled in-person classes beginning March 16.

Laney College is canceling in-person classes March 11-14.

The Peralta Community College District has moved its spring break from April to March 16-21.

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY

K-12:

All West Contra Costa Unified School District schools will close March 16-April 6, the district announced Thursday afternoon. On Friday, all students in the district will be dismissed at noon.

All Mt. Diablo Unified School Districts will close beginning March 17, after a scheduled school district holiday on Monday, the school district superintendent announced Friday. At this time, the district has not disclosed when it will reopen.

Schools in the Pittsburg Unified will close on Monday, March 16 for two weeks.

The Martinez Unified School District will be closed March 16 through April 3.

Antioch Unified School District will be closed beginning Monday, March 16. The district is planning to reopen after spring break, on March 30.

Colleges and universities:

St. Mary's College will move to remote course instruction beginning March 16. Classes are scheduled to resume April 14.

Diablo Valley College will move classes online beginning March 16. Labs and other sessions that require an in-person presence will meet at the discretion of the professor.

MARIN COUNTY

K-12:

All Marin County schools will close to students for two weeks beginning March 16, the county announced Friday. Meals and resources will still be offered.

All 90 Catholic schools in San Francisco, San Mateo and Marin counties will close March 12-25, the Archdiocese of San Francisco announced Tuesday afternoon. Buildings will be closed, classes and activities canceled, and all learning material will be distributed "utilizing the Archdiocesan distance learning protocol," the superintendent said in a statement. One preschool, six elementary schools, and one high school (Marin Catholic High) are affected in Marin County. (Full list here.)

Bolinas-Stinson School will remain closed through March 27.

SAN FRANCISCO COUNTY

K-12:

SFUSD announced on Thursday, March 12, that all schools will be closed for three weeks starting March 16.

Lakeshore Elementary School: Closed for at least two weeks starting March 12 after four students and a number of adult family members reported having respiratory illness. They were being tested for COVID-19, but at the time of announcement there were no confirmed cases at Lakeshore.

Glen Park Elementary School: Closed after seven students reported respiratory illness Thursday. They are being tested for COVID-19, but at the time of the announcement there were no confirmed cases.

All 90 Catholic schools in San Francisco, San Mateo and Marin counties will close March 12-25, the Archdiocese of San Francisco announced Tuesday afternoon. Buildings will be closed, classes and activities canceled, and all learning material will be distributed "utilizing the Archdiocesan distance learning protocol," the superintendent said in a statement. Ten preschools, 27 elementary schools, and seven high schools (including St. Ignatius, Sacred Heart and Archbishop Riordan) are affected in San Francisco. (Full list here.)

In addition, the San Francisco Unified School District told parents in an email Monday night that any student absences over the next two weeks will be excused.

Colleges and universities:

City College of San Francisco is suspending in-person classes for the rest of the semester starting Friday, March 13. The school is moving up its spring break to the week of March 23 (previously the week of March 30) to give faculty time to implement an online learning plan. In the meantime, during the week of March 16, there will be no City College classes or events.

San Francisco State University suspended all face-to-face classes, Tuesday, March 10 through Sunday, March 15. (Online classes continue as usual.) Starting Monday, March 16, all classes will be taught online until at least Sunday, April 5.

The University of San Francisco is suspending all in-person classes through at least March 29. Online classes will begin March 18.

Golden Gate University announced it all of its classes outside of the law school would be moved online for the time being. Many of the university's classes were already taught online before the COVID-19 epidemic. San Francisco State University also canceled face-to-face classes for the remainder of the week.

UCSF has canceled or postponed all events, classes, and conferences involving more than 150 people for the foreseeable future.

The Academy of Art University is suspending all on-site instruction starting Wednesday, March 11 until the end of spring break on Monday, March 30. All classes will be taught online.

SAN MATEO COUNTY

K-12:

San Mateo County schools are closing for three weeks, March 16 through April 3.

All 90 Catholic schools in San Francisco, San Mateo and Marin counties will close March 12-25, the Archdiocese of San Francisco announced Tuesday afternoon. Buildings will be closed, classes and activities canceled, and all learning material will be distributed "utilizing the Archdiocesan distance learning protocol," the superintendent said in a statement. Eleven preschools, 22 elementary schools, and five high schools are affected in San Mateo County.

A relative of a student at Junipero Serra High School in San Mateo had tested positive. The school closed for cleaning March 9-11 before the Archdiocese announced the larger closure. (Full list here.)

St. Matthew’s Episcopal Day School is closed; it will begin online classes March 16.

The Nueva School in Hillsborough will also be closed through April 3.

Mid-Peninsula High School in Menlo Park is closing March 13 through April 3. All classes will be held online.

Sequoia Union High School District will close and transfer courses online beginning Monday, March 16, the district announced Friday afternoon.

Colleges and universities:

Classes at the College of San Mateo are canceled through March 16; online courses will begin March 17.

SANTA CLARA COUNTY

K-12:

All public schools in Santa Clara County will close March 16 through April 3.

Action Day Primary Plus in San Jose: Closed Monday; teacher tested positive.

Castilleja Middle and High Schools are closed beginning March 16. Online classes will start March 18.

Bellarmine College Preparatory is closed through the end of March.

The Diocese of San Jose Department of Catholic Schools will close all diocesan schools starting next week through March 27.

Colleges and universities:

Santa Clara University suspended face-to-face classes from March 10 through April 13. All classes and winter 1uarter final exams will be conducted online.

Stanford University moved all of its classes online for the time being after a faculty member tested positive for the virus. Winter quarter final exams will be conducted as take-home exams. The university president also asked all students who are able to leave campus housing to do so in order to reduce the concentration of people in the dorms.

San Jose State University is also moving all classes online through March 27.

San José City College and the Milpitas College Extension are canceling in-person classes March 11-16. After March 16, the schools say classes will taught online through at least April 6.

West Valley College also canceled face-to-face classes until further notices, starting March 11. Some will restart online March 16 and others will restarting online on March 23.

Evergreen College will suspend all non-lab in-person classes, and move those courses to an online format on March 16.

Mission College will suspend in-person classes through April 5. Online classes will begin in waves, on March 16, March 23, and April 6.

De Anza College will move most classes online beginning March 16 for the foreseeable future.

SOLANO COUNTY

K-12:

All Solano County Schools will be closed for two weeks beginning Monday, March 16, the Vallejo City Unified School District announced Friday afternoon.

SONOMA COUNTY

Colleges and universities:

Sonoma State University is canceling face-to-face classes for three days (on March 12, 13 and on the other side of spring break on Monday, March 23). During the break, faculty is preparing to teach online if needed.

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Alix Martichoux contributed to this story. Amy Graff is an SFGATE digital editor. Email here: agraff@sfgate.com.