MAINE, USA — Editor’s note: You are starting to hear the term ‘flattening the curve’ as a way to stem the tide of coronavirus cases. The above video explains what that means.
Students have been out of school due to the coronavirus outbreak in Maine for nearly a week. On Friday, some schools have announced that closures will last until at least the end of April.
The initial closures came after Gov. Janet Mills declared a state of emergency on Sunday, March 15, when she recommended "ending classroom instruction in all public schools as soon as reasonably practical."
"During this first week of meeting this challenge, we have moved into a different way of conducting school," Ken Kunin, South Portland Schools superintendent said. "Our aim this first week, and for next week as well, is to connect with our students, provide some structure and have all, students and teachers alike, experience a degree of success."
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Maine was one of the last states to be impacted by the coronavirus, but now has a total of 56 confirmed positive and presumptive positive cases. Mills and the Maine Centers for Disease Control (CDC) emphasize the importance of 'social distancing' as an effective means to curb the community spread of the disease.
"Reducing the interaction of large groups of people across the state will play a role in reducing an outbreak and substantially reduce the spread," Mills said.
Portland, South Portland, Lewiston, MSAD 75, Brunswick, Bangor, and Gorham schools are among the schools so far that have announced return dates of no sooner than April 27.
"Students are now tentatively scheduled to return to school on April 27th based on the Governor’s recommendation to align school closing with the State of Civil Emergency," Lewiston Schools Superintendent Todd A. Finn wrote in a letter to the school community.
For a complete list of closings, visit: /closings
At NEWS CENTER Maine, we’re focusing our news coverage on the facts and not the fear around the illness. To see our full coverage, visit our coronavirus section, here: /coronavirus
NEWS CENTER Maine Coronavirus Coverage
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