Coronavirus pandemic
The Washington PostDemocracy Dies in Darkness

Coronavirus shuts down two public schools as districts race to contain the spread

By
and 
February 29, 2020 at 2:51 p.m. EST
While there is no vaccine for covid-19, preventive steps and awareness are the best tools to prepare and protect yourself in the event of an outbreak. (Video: The Washington Post)

Two presumptive positive cases of coronavirus infections at two public schools have led to temporary closures in Oregon and Washington state, health and school officials said, as districts nationwide navigate uncharted waters of risk regarding children and virus containment after the first death in the U.S. is reported.

A student at Jackson High School north of Seattle is presumed to have the virus, state health officials said Friday, the same day a presumptive case of infection of a Forest Hills Elementary employee outside Portland was announced by the Oregon Health Authority.