BISMARCK, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – Just days after announcing a statewide emergency in response to the Coronavirus, Governor Doug Burgum announced Sunday night the decision to close K-12 schools in the state for the week of March 16th thru March 20th.
The announcement was made with other members of the North Dakota Department of Health Joint Information Center. With children at the lowest potential risk for coronavirus, Burgum explained his decision to close schools for the week.
Burgum says they want to slow the exponential growth that could come with the spread of coronavirus. He says this means engaging in “social distancing.”
He says individual action will be vital over time to ensure the safety of everyone.
Burgum says they’re hoping with a week of school closures to have better testing and data to make more decisions moving forward. He says in addition to the closures, all essential personnel and leadership are asked to work on Monday, March 16th and Tuesday, March 17t to develop plans with the better data the state may have in the next week.
He added that events with more than 50 people should also consider postponing or canceling.
Burgum says at the end of the week, they will reevaluate and determine if they need to continue school closures or if they will lift them.
State School Superintendent Kirsten Baesler says they are also stressing support and guidance for the younger generation in the state.
She added that they were working with USDA to figure out how to distribute non-congregate meals to students to allow for social distancing, but feeding children who may not otherwise get food for the next week with school closures.
For questions related to COVID-19, the public can call the NDDoH health hotline at 866-207-2880 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. Individuals who need medical advice should contact their health care provider.
For the most updated and timely information related to COVID-19, visit the NDDoH website at www.health.nd.gov/coronavirus , follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and visit the CDC website at www.cdc.gov/coronavirus.
You can watch the full press conference below: