Rising covid cases prompt 3-day closure of Pittsburgh CAPA 6-12
Students at Pittsburgh Public Schools’ Creative And Performing Arts 6-12 will switch to remote learning for three days because of rising covid-19 cases at the magnet school.
The closure of the school on Ninth Street, in the city’s Cultural District, was triggered when positive covid cases climbed to 38 on Monday, exceeding a threshold of 5% of total students and staff.
According to the district, the closure will allow deep cleaning and disinfection of the school.
Students will transition to livestreaming of instruction via Microsoft Teams and will access assignments in Schoology. They will follow the same bell schedule as if they were attending school in person.
Special events and activities will be canceled during the closure.
No one will be allowed to enter the school until Friday. From that point until May 20, face masks will be required for all students, staff and visitors at the school. That schedule could change if Allegheny County’s level of covid-19 spread increases from low to moderate, as determined by federal guidelines.
After action by the school board, masks became optional for most district students starting last week. Mandatory masking is to be reinstated if county moves into a moderate level of covid spread.
Jeff Himler is a TribLive reporter covering Greater Latrobe, Ligonier Valley, Mt. Pleasant Area and Derry Area school districts and their communities. He also reports on transportation issues. A journalist for more than three decades, he enjoys delving into local history. He can be reached at jhimler@triblive.com.
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