(Updated at 12:15 p.m.) Arlington Public Schools are closing starting Monday and are expected to remain closed through the end of spring break in April.

The school system made the announcement shortly after noon on Friday. APS previously cancelled or postponed non-essential events due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Falls Church City Schools are also closing. Alexandria City Public Schools made a similar announcement around the same time.

Elsewhere, Fairfax County closed schools Friday and cancelled all school trips and extracurricular activities. Loudoun County closed its schools from Thursday until March 20. Schools in the District will be closed the remainder of the month starting March 16, and all public schools in Maryland are closing from March 16 through March 27.

APS and Falls Church City Schools sent the following announcement to parents.

Dear APS Families and Staff: In response to growing concerns and anxiety in our community about the coronavirus (COVID-19), Arlington Public Schools and Falls Church City Public Schools have aligned, and in close collaboration with other Northern Virginia school divisions, will close beginning Monday, March 16, 2020. The present plans are to remain closed through Spring Break, with students scheduled to return on Tue, April 14, 2020. We will continue to evaluate and monitor the situation on a daily basis and will provide an update on our plans as new information is available. Given all the information available now, including other closures throughout the National Capital Region that impact our staff and families, we believe this is the best decision to make at this time. All of us, school administrators, staff, and parents, want the same outcome–keeping our kids and community safe. Each of our divisions will send additional logistical details of the closure to our staff and families later today. Thank you for your continued understanding and patience. Sincerely, Cintia Z. Johnson

Interim Superintendent, Arlington County Public Schools Peter J. Noonan Ed.D.

Superintendent, Falls Church City Public Schools